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WILDWINTER

AmyGregory

TableofContents

ChapterOne

ChapterTwo

ChapterThree

ChapterFour

ChapterFive

ChapterSix

ChapterSeven

ChapterEight

ChapterNine

ChapterOne

SladeRockersscrubbedhishandoverhisfaceandpulledinadeepbreathofthemusty

lockerroomair.Itwasallover.Hishopesanddreamswereswirlingdowntheproverbial
drain,alongwithalifetimeoftraining.Years—wasted.

He untied his second skate and, piece by piece, removed his hockey gear. Trying to

givetheoutwardappearanceofprofessionalism,justincasetheteamhappenedtochange
its mind, Slade folded his practice jersey and placed it in his bag. Thirty minutes had
passedsincethelastguyhadslammedafistagainstalockeronhiswayout.Therehadn’t
beenalast-minutevisitfromacoachorowner.

“Well…fuck.”Sladesighedandgrabbedhisbag,headingfortheexit.

The dark clouds and cool air echoed his mood as he made his way to his rental car.

Onceinside,helayhisheadonthesteeringwheelandranthrougheverydrillinhismind.
Whatcouldhehavedonedifferently?

Thetruthhurtlikehell.Therewasn’tadamnthinghecouldpointafingeratandknow

ithadbeenthedecidingfactor.Hejustdidn’tcutit,therewasnowayaroundit.Andnot
beinggoodenough…anymore,stunglikeamother.

“Goddammit.”

Sladesatup,reachingforhisphone.Beforehecalledhisfather,therehadtobeaplan

inplace,afallback.Afterfacingthewrathofhisdad,aftertellinghimthathisonlychild
wasnowawasheduphas-been,therehadtobesomewhereelsetoturn.Thephonerang
twicebeforeitwasanswered.

“Pat’sPub,Trishere.”

“Tris?”

“Heystranger!How’sitgoing,bud?What’stheverdict?Don’tforgetIalreadyspoke

upforthebestseatsavailablewhenyou’replayinglocally,okay?”

Sladefeltthedisappointmentseepfurtherintohissystem.“Therearenoseatstogive

you,sir.It’sover.Forgoodthistime.”

“Ah,Slade,I’msorry,son.Iknowyouwerecountingonthistryout.There’salwaysthe

Preds.How’dyouroldmantakethenews?”

“No.Predatorsareout.Imeanit,I’mdone.Thiswasmylast-ditchefforttogetbackto

theonlythingIknowhowtodo.Andasfarasmydad—Icalledyoufirst.”

“Well,theofferstillstands.Toldyouthatwhenyouleftfortheairport,you’dalways

have a job waiting back here. Did they say anything at all? Give you any reason for
passing?”

“No.Theydidn’thaveto.I’mnotgoodenough,plainandsimple.”

“SladeRockers,justyouwaitonedamnminute.You’reonehellofaplayer,youhada

lotofamazingyearsinthepros,I’veseenyou.Multipletimes,remember?Youtoldme
beforeyouleftyouwereworriedaboutyourmedicalrecords.”

Hesighed,staringoffacrosstheemptyparkinglot.Dotsofsleetstartedtospecklehis

windshield. “I know. You’re right. It just sucks. My head feels fine. My vision is fine,
hearing is impeccable. I can’t help the past. I can’t help it that the guy they had me
against…wasyounger.Andapparentlyhisheadisn’tgoingtoturntomushsoon.Ahhell,
I seriously didn’t feel old—until today. I swear, I’ve sat here racking my brain trying to
thinkofhowIfuckedup,whatthatkiddidthatIdidn’t.I’vegotnothing.I’mnottryingto
beconceited,just—”

“You’reupset,you’rethemosthumblepersonIknowinprosports.Andage,forshit’s

sake, Slade, you’re not old. If you are, what’s that make me? Just come on home, back
here where you belong. You know the women in this family were worried about you
gettinghurtagain,anddoingpermanentdamagethistime.Noonewasgoingtostandin
your way, but they’ve been worried sick. You’ll have multiple hugs of relief waiting on
youI’msure.”

“Tris, you have no idea how much that means to me. Especially now. I’ve spent my

entirelifefocusedonhockey.Ionlywenttocollegetostayontheradar,Ibarelywentto
class,andleftcompletelywhenIwaspickedupthefirsttime.I’vegotnoeducationtofall
backon,nothingelse.God,Tris,I’mthirtyyearsold,Ihavewastedmylife.Ican’tbelieve
IwasstupidenoughtothinkI’dneverbecut.”

“Ittookusallbysurprise,Slade.Youarethatgood.”

“Obviously.SogoodI’moutonmyass.”

“Son,headinjuriesarenotsomethingtomessaroundwith.YouknowwhatPopwould

say,right?”

Sladesmiled,thinkingoftheoldermanheadmiredmorethananyother.“ThattheIrish

wouldsaytobelieveinfateanddestinyandallthatstuff?”heanswered.

“That’sright,youngman—”

“Young man?” Slade snorted after mouthing off his retort. Then the depressing

thoughtsmovedinagain.Age.Ageandconcussions,theywerehisnemeses.Bothadded
uptoofast,slashinghishopesanddreams,smashinghisentireplansforhisfuture.

“Hey.Thisismysageadvice,soshutitandlisten.”

“Yes,sir,”Slademumbled,despitethehumorinTris’svoice.

“Sometimesitdoesn’tmatterhowhardyouwork,therearetimeswhenwhatyouhave

plannedisn’twhatdestinyhadinmind.Don’tlookatthisasapitfall,lookatitas—what’s
next?”

“Ihaveafeelingmyoldmanisn’tgoingtobequitethatoptimistic.I’mpreparingfor…

pissed.” Slade had heard the lecture before, one too many times, and was sure this one
wouldbeadoozy.

Fromthetimehewaslittle,Sladehadgrownusedtothepainfulcritiques.Hisfather

hadareasonforeverypenalty,everymistakehemadeontheiceandeveryhitSladehad
taken.Hisfatherblamedhim,saidhedeservedeveryconcussionheeverreceived.Saidif
he’dbeendoinghisjob,he’dhaveavoidedeveryoneofthem.

Everything had always been his fault, and his father pointed out what he could have

donetoavoiditeverytime.Knowinghe’dfinallyblownhislastchanceattryingtoplease
hisassholefatherwasbothablessingandacurse.It’dbethefinalwedgebetweenthem,
butSladewasovertryingtopleaseamanwho’dlivedouthisowndreamthroughhim.

He’d been shipped off to a handful of host families during middle school and high

school,playingforthebestteams.Itwasn’tuntilhelandedinBaltimorethathemetColm
andPadraig,whroturnedouttobehissavinggracefromalifehecouldn’ttakeabreak
from.

Until working for the Collinses at the pub during high school and anytime he had

betweenseasons,he’dneverknownwhatbeingpartofalargefamilywaslike.Rightnow,
he’d give anything to have a few siblings around to avoid being the sole focus of his
parents.Tris’stwinsonshadbecomeSlade’sbestfriendsovertheyears,andtheylethim
behimselfaroundtheirfamily.Hedidn’thavetoplaythepartofastarhockeyplayer.

“Sorryaboutthat,too.Buthey,I’llhaveapintwaitingforyou,ifthatmakesyoufeel

anybetter?”Trisasked.

“I was praying like hell for the job, but I’ll take you up on the beer, too. Thank you,

Tris.I’mserious.Idon’tknowwhatI’ddowithoutyouandyourfamily.”

“Slade,youhavealwaysbeenloyaltous,andwetakecareofourown.”

ChapterTwo

KoriDaltonpickedupawhiterose,pinchingthestembetweenherfingers,andsighed.

Last-minuteorderswereexpectedinhercareer,butshehadlostanuglybattlewitha

bucketofrosesasshewasputtingawaythestore’sinventoryorderwhenit’darrived.For
the last two hours, she had worked, silently praying no one would come into the floral
shopbecauseshelookedasifshe’dwalkedawayonthelosingsideofabarfightatPat’s
Pub.

Kori loved the Collins family, who owned and ran the pub—named after Patrick

Collins—and Sunday’s Side—the restaurant portion of the bar named for his late wife.
ThelargeIrishclanwasonehellofatightfamily,andsheadoredeachandeveryoneof
them.

She chuckled to herself, despite another ruined shirt. Walking down the sidewalk a

shortdistanceforabeerafterclosingtimewaswhatsheneededtocapthisdayoff.They’d
seen her on more than one occasion with a torn shirt and sporting a few Band-Aids.
However, it was the man on his way in for the bouquet she was finishing who she
desperately wanted to appear somewhat professional in front of. She didn’t want him to
look at her and wonder if there’d be drops of blood on the gift he was about to give
someone.

“Well,Mr.Rockers,Ithinkthewomanreceivingthesewillbepleased,”shespoketo

the bouquet as she inspected each delicately placed flower. “I don’t even see a speck of
DNA,hotdamn.”

Though Baltimore was a large city, the compact area they were in was bustling with

locals.DaltonFloral,ownedbyhercousin,Layla,hadbecomethego-toplaceforunique
arrangements,andtheyhadlearnedtheirstorewasadamnhandyspottostopontheway
toPat’sPubbeforeadate.

Kori twisted the flowers, checking each petal one last time. “Hmm. Slade Rockers.

Whonamestheirkidthat?”

“I’ve been asked that a few times over the years. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good

answer.”

Thelow,gravellyvoiceansweredherfrombehind.

Korispun.“OhmyGod.”Sheputahandtoherlips.

“Hi,”hesaid.“Sodotheflowerseveransweryouwhenyouspeaktothem?”

Ifshewasn’ttheonlyonelefttoclosetheshop,she’dfleeoutthebackdoor.Laylawas

unfortunately already gone for the night, so she was stuck there, stunned into silence,
unabletomoveorhardlybreathe.

Hecheckedeveryboxonherlistofwhatperfectionwouldlooklike.

DressedsimilarlytoaGQmodel,butnotpretty.Hewasrugged,broad-shoulderedand

sportingabitofscruff.Asmallwhite,jaggedlineatthecornerofhismouthmovedwhen
hegrinned.AsKoriglancedtothehandhewasstillholdingout,shenoticedseveralmore
tinyhealedmarks.Definitelysomeonewhowasn’tbehindadeskallday.

Oneslowpassupwardscrewedher.Shewasentranced,heldinplacebyapairoflight

brown eyes with gold flecks in them. A sudden pang of jealousy hit her. “She’s a lucky
lady.”

“Actually—”

Kori slapped her forehead. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Shit.” She was

completelyoutofherelement,battlinganalmoststar-struckfeeling,andwithacomplete
stranger.Ahotmalestranger.Sheneededtogetagrip.

Her morning had started off with spilling coffee all over her kitchen counter.

Dependent on caffeine, she’d tried to make a second cup, only to find she’d completely
runout.Thedayhadonlygonedownhillfromthere.Droolingoversomeoneelse’sblind
dateandmakingatotalfooloutofherselfwasjustthecherryontop.“Ohman.”

“What’swrong?”heasked.

“Nothing. Nothing,” she fibbed. The comradery and beer she’d been counting on at

Pat’sPubwerenowano-go.NotwhenMr.Handsomewasmostlikelymeetinghisdate
there—with her flowers. She sighed. The old “always a bridesmaid” adage worked for
floriststoo.Alwaysmakingotherwomenhappyataman’srequest.

Herheaddroppedasaflashwentthroughhermind…abarerefrigerator.

Fuckmylife.

Completely devoid of any wine, beer, or food—anything to ease the crap day she’d

had. There was no way to go down and grab dinner and a drink from Sunday’s, the
restaurantconnectedtoPat’s.She’dlooklikeastalker,atleasttothemanstandinginfront
ofher.

Shesighed…themaninfrontofherwipedallthoughtsofliquorandfoodoffhermind.

Short,darkhair,nicejeans,abutton-downandablazer.Otherthantheshadowgracinghis
jawandthefadedscars,hecouldbeamodel.Maybehewas.

Kori started daydreaming about his profession, about the possibilities of what he’d

done and where he’d traveled. An actor? Ball player? Couldn’t be football, they were
smackintheheatoffootballseason,somaybebaseball?Hisclothingstylewaspolished,
yetthescruffalonghisjawlinewasadeliciouscontradiction.Sheblinked,imagininghim
inapairofbaseballpants.

Sladetookhistime,lookingupandbackdownovertheauburnbeautywhileshewas

stillhidinghereyes—herstrikingblueeyes.They’dnearlyknockedtheairoutofhischest
when she’d turned toward him. Her hair was pulled back, but wisps fell forward. He’d
caught himself reaching to tuck it behind her ear. “So, you know my name, I’d say it’s
onlyfairyoutellmeyours.”

“Sortalike,youshowmeyours,I’llshowyoumine?Holycrap.”

Herjawdroppedopen.Sladetriedlikehelltoholdinthegrinatherexpense,butshe

wasatotalhootandthefirstpersontomakehimforgethisworries.Therewasonlythe
two of them, and a counter between them. He longed to hear her voice and the comical
linesshewasthrowingout.

“Ican’tbelieveIjustsaidthat.”

Sheturnedpinkforthesecondtimeinasmanyminutes.

“Please—”

“Please—”

Theybothsaidatthesametime.“Jinx.”Sladechuckled.“Youfirst.”

“Iwasgoingtosay,please—justtakethese,andpromisemeyou’llerasethelastfew

minutesfromyourmemory.Ifyoudo,I’llgiveyouthebouquetforfree.”

“Sorry,Ican’tdothat,”heanswered.

“Of course you can’t. My luck doesn’t run that way.” She turned and eased behind

anothercounter,towardtheregister.

“Imeant,Idon’twantto.Iwasreallyhopingtogetyourname,”heaskedagain.

“But…you’vegot—someoneelse?”Sheheldupthebouquetasasign.“Agirlfriend?”

Thelinescrossedherforeheadasshevoicedherquestion,leavingSladetowatchevery

nuance,completelycaptivated.Hereyeswentwide,thenshebusiedherselfbypunching
buttonswhileholdingtheflowersshe’dmade.

“You’rereallytalented.”

“Twenty-ninedollarsandseventy-eightcents.”

“Idon’thaveagirlfriend.”Hestudiedher.“Orawife.”Afteralongpause,shevisibly

relaxed.

“Oh,”shewhispered.

Slade felt the need to explain to the sassy, gorgeous florist who obviously couldn’t

control the connection between her thoughts and her mouth. Between her blushing
repeatedly,andthefactthathedidn’thavetoplaygamestryingtoreadhermind,Slade
wasstartingtofeellighterthanhehadinthedayssincehishorridtryout.“Ipromise,there
really isn’t a girlfriend, fiancé or wife. Opposite. I was set up, truly coerced, to go on a
blinddate.”

“Blinddate?HowinGod’snameareyounothavingtobeatwomenoffwithastick?”

Thewomanclosedhereyes,shakingherhead.“Holy-fuck-a-moly,whatisitwithyou?I
just…”

IfSladecouldonlygethername,afterall,shewasdoingahellofajobrepairinghis

egotheNHLhadshattered.Attheveryleast,he’dthankher.Despitehisimpendingdate,
maybehe’dseeifshe’dagreetoexchangingphonenumbersorsomething.

Hewasjustputtinghislifebacktogetheragain,andatPadraig’sinsistence,he’dagreed

toablinddate.Ifhedidn’towetheCollinsfamilysomuch,he’driskpissingoffhisgood
friendandbailing,justtostayandtalktothemysterywoman.Helongedtokeepteasing
her,toreachoutandseeifthepaleskinofherneckwasassoftasitappeared.

Hisphonedinged,acalendarreminder.Blinddate.Shit.

Hedidn’twanttogo.Damn,he’dneverbeenashallowass,butthiswomancaptured

hisattentionunlikeanyotherbefore.Caughtbetweenarockandahardspot,hecouldn’t
ditchthedate,anditwouldn’tbeverygentlemanlyofhimtoaskforthiswoman’snumber.
Thelookonherfaceonlyameremomentpriorspokevolumes,shewasclearlythetype
notoutforjustfun.Shewasthekindofwomanmensearchedfor,thekindtosettledown
with.

Threeminutesinherpresenceandhefeltlikeheknewsomuchaboutheralready.She

was sweet and seemed worried about him hurting another woman’s feelings when he’d
asked.Thewomanwasgorgeousyettherewasakindofinnocencetoher,thekindbased
oningrainedmannersandkindness.

Shit.

Hesilentlyberatedhimselfforeventhinkingofpullingsuchanassholemove.

Begrudginglyhedidtherightthing.“Hereyougo.”Hehandedbackthesignedcopy

sheprobablyneededfortheirrecords.

Sladefollowedtheredofherskin,acrosshercheeksanddownherneck,watchingasit

disappeared underneath the thin V-neck shirt she wore. He let his imagination run for a
longminute,wonderingifmaybeshehadbeenthinkingofhim.

Judgingbythelonginghesawinhereyes,hehadtobeassumingcorrectly.

Damnit.

Hehatedblinddates,andwasgrowingmoreandmoreresentfulbytheminutetoward

his longtime best friend. Slade wished it was the flustered hot mess of a florist he was
going to dinner with tonight. His dark mood only worsened as he gave the mysterious
beautyonelastgrin,tookhisflowersandproceededtowardtheshopdoor.

With a backward glance, he was saddened to see her perched on a stool behind the

counter,herforeheadrestinginherpalm,eyesdownward.Shedidn’tseemtohearhimas
hewishedhergoodnight.

ChapterThree

Achillybreezeblewafewmoreleavesoffthetreesliningthesidewalkashestrolled

pastthreeshopsandturnedthecornertothepub.Slade’sthoughtswereconsumedbythe
stranger who had mesmerized him as he made his way to his second home. Her simple
girl-next-door beauty mixed with sass and a broken filter had his mind spinning as he
openedtheheavydoortothepub.

“Whatareyoudoinghereonyournightoff?”Trisasked.

“Whatareyoudoinghereatall?Youdon’tdothenightshift,”Sladereplied.

“The boys went to a concert, I told Padraig I’d cover his shift tonight. I thought you

werewiththemsinceyouweren’tonthescheduleeither?”

Pat’s son—and Slade’s boss, Tris—had become a dear friend and savior over the last

fewyears.HisloudvoicehadseveralpeopleturningtheirattentiontowardSlade.Hewas
usedtohavingeyesonhimwhilehewasontheice,he’ddoneitforyears.However,the
attention drawn to him as he was dressed in clothes other than what the pub regulars
usuallysawhimworkingin,andholdingabouquet,madehimwanttoditchthedateand
sufferthewrathofhistwobestfriends.

“Flowers?” Ailis asked as she approached with a tray of drinks. “Who for?” She

winkedwithhersingsong-yquestion.

BothanabsolutepositiveofworkingfortheCollinsfamily,andahazard,wasthefact

thattherewerenosecrets.Anyoneluckyenoughtobescoopedupandaddedtotheircrazy
familywasgivenunconditionallove,yetwasalsoincludedinthejeers,funandmerciless
teasing.

Sladebarelycontainedagrowl,changinghistoneatthelastsecond.“Blinddate,”he

saidasquietlyashecouldamongstthenoisybar.

“Anyideawhatshelookslike?Noonenewhascomein,especiallyanyonementioning

adateorevenyourname.”

“Thanks,Ailis,butno.I’vegotnoclue,actually.Ijustknow,thatifitwasanyoneelse

butPadraigthat’dsetmeup—I’dbail.”

“It’llbefine.”Sherolledhereyes.“Beopentonewthings.Whydon’tyousitatthebar

withUncleTris?Whenshecomesin,I’llcomegrabyou.”Ailissmiled.

“Thanks. Hey, when you have a second, I have a question for you,” Slade fired off

before thinking. The Collins family was huge. They knew everyone in a twelve-block
radius,probablymore.

Butaskingmeantthey’dalsobeveryinterestedinhisbusiness.

“Onsecondthought,nevermind.”

“Ohno,youdon’t.I’llbethereinafew.”Ailischuckledandwalkedaway.

Slade was lifting his pint to his lips when a tap on his elbow made him miss, the

dribbledbeerleavingdarkspotsonhisshirt.Femalelaughterhadhimrollinghiseyes.

“Sorry,Slade.”Ailischuckled.

Henoddedashepattedhisshirtwithatinysquarebarnapkin.“Sure.Sure,youare.”

Interrogation time, just when he was sure Ailis had forgotten. Slade should have known
better.EvenhergrandfatherPat’smemorywassharpasatack,andthemanwasninety-
two.

“You’rereallygoingtomakemeask?”

“Iwashopingyourunclewouldhurryandhaveanorderreadyforyoutodeliveragain.

It’sbeenoveranhourandthisplacehasn’tdieddown.”

“It’s the weekend.” She shook her head. “Plus, Hunter is playing tonight. We’ll be

packedallnight.

“Mypointexactly.You’rebusy.So…go,bebusy—awayfromhere,”Sladeteasedher

back.

“Ihavetimeforquestions.”

Slade pulled in a deep breath. “Ailis, why do I have a very bad feeling I’m going to

regretthis?”

“Since you were obviously stood up on your blind date, I have a feeling things will

workoutjustfine.Spillit,Rockers.”

“Fine.ButkeepthisontheDL.Imeanit…waydown,andway,waylow,okay?”She

made a zipping motion across her lips and threw an imaginary key over her shoulder.
“Fine.So,theflowershop,youknowtheonearoundthecorner?”

“KoriandLayla’s?”

Heshookhishead.“Idon’tknow.”

“DaltonFloral,right?”

“Yeah,that’stheplace.”

“It’sLaylaandKoriDalton,ofcourseIknowthem.”

Sladeblinked.Alreadyhisco-workerhadmoreinformationthanhe’dexpected.Now,

howdidhefindoutwhichgirlhe’dbeenthinkingaboutforoveranhour?Somuchso,he
hadn’t even noticed until now how much time had passed, or that his date had left him
sittingalone.He’dbepissedandembarrassed—ifhewasn’tfeelingrelieved.

“SladeRockers,hello?”Ailissnappedherfingers.“Theflowers?You’veneverbeenin

there before? Who was working when you went in to buy these?” She picked up the
brightly colored bouquet and buried her nose in them. “Only Kori and Layla are this
genius.They’reamazingatmixingflowers,evensomethingassimpleaswhiteroseswith
brightdaisies.I’dhavenevereventhoughttoputthetwokindstogether,letalonewhite

roses,they’re—”

“I got it.” Slade put his hand up. “But before Tris does call you, you mentioned two

girls.Doyouknowwhichoneiswhich?”

“It’s totally easy to tell, even if they’re cousins. Layla owns the store and has blonde

hair—”

“No,notblonde,”heinterrupted.

“Okay,thenyoumusthavebeendealingwithKori.We’vealwaysteasedherthatshe

couldbeatrueCollins.Withherpaleskinanddarkredhair,sheblendsinwithusanytime
shecomesinhere.”

“Kori.”Hefeltajoltashernamerolledoffhistongue.“IsherlastnameDalton,too?

Orjusthercousin?”

“Nope. Both are Dalton girls. Kori, huh? I honestly pegged you as one to chase a

blonde.”

Shewasteasing,butSladeponderedherassumption.“Idon’tknowasifIhaveatype.

Iwasontheroadsomuchuntil…Anyway.Mydatinglifewasprettymuchnonexistent.”

“Shit,Slade.I’msosorry.Iforgot.Ididn’tmeantobringthatup.”

Hepattedthehandshehadrestingonthebar.“Youdidn’t,andit’sfine—aslongasyou

canconfirmonethingforme.”

“I’lltry.”

“Kori?Isshe,youknow…single?”

“Ailis,you’reup,hon.Tabletwelve,”Trishollered.

Herunclehadn’tevenlookedup,somehowjustknowingshewasclose.Sladewatched

ashekeptpouringapintwhilefixingamixeddrinkatthesametime.

He turned as his informant maneuvered through the tables with a tray full of pints,

mixed drinks and a couple of shots. “Wait, Ailis.” He spun on his stool. “You didn’t
answer.”

Shesmiledoverhershoulder,thenwentaboutherbusinessofdeliveringliquor.

Hewasachingformore,butatleasthehadaname.

“Didn’tanswerwhat?”Trisasked.

Sladetwistedbacktofacethebar.“Nothing.”

“Youjustholleredacrosstheentireplace.Notgettingoffthateasy.”

He groaned. After a handful of high school years working as a busboy after school,

then moving up the ladder as soon as he was of legal age to serve drinks, Slade knew.
There was no way his boss would let him dodge the question. If he didn’t hurry up and
answer, he’d have more and more of the family prying into his depressing love life.
“You’reanass,boss.”

“I’vebeentoldthat—oncebefore.”

Slade looked away, studying the dark ale in his mug as Tris continued to chuckle.

“Fine.IwasaskingAilisaboutsomeoneIsortametearliertonight.”

“Howdoyou‘sorta’meetsomeone?”

Heshrugged,glancingbackup.“Shewouldn’ttellmehername.”

Trisslappedthebar.“Now,there’sasmartgirl.”

“Ha.Ha.Suchacomedian.Toobadforher,Ifoundoutanyway.”Sladesnorted.

Trissnickered.“Korifromtheflowershop…she’sagoodgirl.”

“Seriously?Thelastminuteofmylifehasbeenatotalsham,wasted.Andyoutrulyare

anIrishass.”Sladerolledhiseyesatthedeeplaughtercomingfromtheothersideofthe
bar.

“Not a waste at all, you humored me, so it was totally worth it. And really, she’s a

sweetgal.”

“Youknowher?”

“Notindepthoranything,butsincetheyputthatshopin,it’smadesneakingawayto

get Lane flowers a whole lot easier, and their work is stellar. Not the same old generic-
lookingstuff.”

ChapterFour

Koriturnedthekey,andasshetwistedtheknob,puthershoulderintothebackdoorof

the store. It wasn’t early by a power-suit-wearing professional’s standards, however, she
andLaylatookturnsworkinguntilwellafterdarkeachevening.Lastnighthadbeenher
turn.Notthatitmattered,shecouldn’tsleepanyway.Hell,shemightaswellworkevery
night. After all, the shop was where she saw him, maybe it’d increase her chances of
anotherrun-in.

DamnitSladeRockers.

She blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she recalled the now familiar scent of his

cologne.Hewastormentingthehelloutofher,cominginatrandomtimes,buthistripsin
werebecomingmoreandmorefrequent.

Laylahadn’tsaidanything,butifhewasgoingtoaskhercousinout,Koriwishedhe

wouldjustdoit.Untilthen,therewasstillatinybitofhopethatwouldn’tleavehermind.

Layla was the poised business woman, Kori was the quiet one. Her cousin was her

polaroppositeoneverylevel,exceptthroughtheirdifferences,theirsharedlovefortheir
grandmotherandflowersmadethemagreatteam,andbestfriends.

Her cousin was also the pretty one. The one men did a double-take over, despite

holdingflowersfortheirwife,girlfriendorsignificantother.AndSladeRockerswasno
different. Except for the first time they’d been alone. Kori had felt a strange tingle run
overherthenighttheymet.Eachtimehewalkedinthestore,thosefeelingshitheragain,
stronger and stronger with every meeting. She tried to pretend he had no effect on her,
triedtoconvinceherselfitwasLaylahewastryingtocatchandvisitwith.

Itneverfailedthough.Sladewouldcomein,andKoriwouldturntomush.Thesound

of him clearing his throat was engrained in her mind, he’d force her to look at him, to
speaktohim.Andeverytime,she’dmakeatotalassofherself.

One month. It had been one month since she met him. A month of daydreams,

delicious,yummydaydreams.Andonelongmonthofrestlessnights.Herthoughtswere
hauntedbythesmolderinglooks,hisdeepvoice,commandingpresence,togethermaking
herdryspellallthemoreintolerable.

She was going to lose it. Layla told her she needed to get laid—by a certain store

patron.Thenthey’dargueaboutSlade.AsmuchasLaylasworeKoriwasthereasonhe
kept reappearing, Kori knew better. Her cousin was sweet to say otherwise and was
humble,butKoriwasn’tstupid.

“Get a grip,” she berated herself and braced herself for another twenty-four hours to

addtotheSladeRockerstorturecount,asshehadstartedcallingit.

Normallyshewouldhavehadacoupleofmorehourstosleep,butLaylahadbeggeda

favor,soKorifoundherselfyawningassheputherkeysbackinherpurse.

Thoughshe’drunthroughahalfpotofcoffeealreadythismorning,itwasapparentit

was going to be a long day. She went through the motions of switching on lights,
unlocking the front door and then bringing up the computer linked to their register. She
walkedbacktotheofficetograbthecashdrawerfromthesafe.Herbrainwasonautopilot
assheshoveditinitsspot,thencheckedtheirwebsiteforordersplacedovernight.

“Goodmorning.”

“Ah!”Koriscreamed,grippinghershirtaboveherheart.

Hislargepalmengulfedhershoulder.“I’msosorry.Ididn’tmeantostartleyou.Are

youallright?”

“Slade,”shewhispered.“Yeah,IguessI’vejustbecometoousedtothesmallchimeon

the door. I don’t even hear it anymore.” In her head, her voice sounded high-pitched,
squeakyandreally,reallystupid.Shewastotallyactinglikeanidiotinfrontofhim,likea
flirtysixteen-year-old.

“Howhaveyoubeen,Kori?”

Damnthatgrinofhis.Shedidherbesttocalmherbreathingbeforeanswering.“Fine.

And you?” There. That almost sounded normal. If cardboard cutouts could talk. She
glanced away to roll her eyes. Where was Layla when she needed her? Her cousin was
calm,coolandcollected.Shecouldtalktomen.Customerswerefine,Koriwasn’tashy
person.Butthisparticularcustomersentherintoaspiralingfreefallofnerdom.

“Beenfine.Working.Youknow,nothingexciting,”hesaid.

Hecouldhavejustrecitedalovepoembythewayhisvoicesentherpulsespiking.The

lowtone,huskyandflirtywithouttrying,wasabouttopushheroveranimaginarycliff.
“You’reexciting.”

Whatthehell?

Seriously,that’swhatherbrainsignaledhertoanswerwith?Shewasjustgoingtogo

ahead,excuseherselftothebackroomanddieaslowdeathfromembarrassment.

“Iwasgoingtoseeifyouhappenedtohavemyflowersready?”heasked.

Realityslap.Shethoughtbacktoyesterday.Hedidn’tcommentback,sosheprayedhe

hadn’thearditbecauseifhewasjustignoringit,thatstungwaytoomuch.Koripulledina
breath and tried to act somewhat professional. “Did you order them late? Maybe Layla
tookitandthey’reinthefridge?”

“Yes,sorry,Iwasworking,pulledthelateshiftsoIdiditonlineafterIgothome.It’s

okayifthey’renot.Icouldalwaysjustcomebackforthem.Ifyouwanttocallmewhen
they’reready,Kori?”

Callhim?Ohyeah,shewantedtocallhim…tocomeover.

Shewaslookingthroughtheordersonthescreen.Herpulsespikedashisnamecame

acrossthescreen.Theeighthorderinlessthanamonth.

KorireallyneededLaylatowalkthroughthebackdoor—orthefront,shewasn’tpicky.

Hercousinhadbeenpracticallyshoutingathertowakeupandsmelltheveryrosesthey

sold.LaylacalledSladetransparentasshrinkwrapandtoldKoritotakethebait.

Except…shestillcouldn’ttalktohim.

“Idoseeit.Um,I’msorry,it’snotevenclose.Itcameinaftermidnight,wellafterwe

weregone.Icanhurryifyouwanttowait?”

Heleanedforward,placinghisforearmsonthecounter.“Or…Icouldcomeback?”

“CanIaskyouaquestion?”

“Sure.”

OhmyGod.She’dspokenaloud,again.Whatthehellwaswrongwithher?Whydid

herthoughtsinstantlybecomeverbalizedaroundthisman?Sheponderedtheproblemfor
exactlytwosecondsbeforeshewasdistracted.Hiscolognewaswoodsy,verymasculine,
and despite the fresh florals she was surrounded by, it made Kori acutely aware of just
howclosehewas.

“Youwanttoknow…?”

Hisvoicewaslight,teasingwithoutbeingmalicious.Thenightshe’dmethimforthe

firsttimejealousyhadreareditsuglyhead.Untilthisman,shehadpridedherselfonbeing
compassionate,kindandloving.Whenitcametopicturinghisso-called“blinddate”,Kori
wantedtobeatthegirlwithoneofthewhiteroseshe’dordered,onewiththethornsstill
intact.

“Collins,”shespitout.“Again?”

“Yes,ma’am.”

Heseemeddamnproudofhimself,butKoriknewseveralofthefamilymemberswell,

orhadatleastmetthemall.Sincethenightthey’dmet,everyorderhadbeenformarried
women or ones in serious relationships. Did he not know their husbands or boyfriends?
Didthisnow-frequentcustomerofhersnotrealizetheywereprobablygoingtokillhimat
somepointforflirtingwiththeirwomen?

KorihappenedtocatchaglimpseofSladebehindPat’sbarworkingacoupleofnights

aftermeetinghim.Sincethenshe’dbeenverycarefultosneakintotheSunday’ssideand
avoidthebaratallcosts.Thethoughtofhimpossiblyflirtingwithotherwomenwhowere
sittingacrossthebarfromhimmadeherfeeluglyandmean,yet,herstomachdemanded
Riley’scookingfromtherestaurantside.

The corner of his mouth quirked upward again, accented by the small white scar. He

wasasbeautifulashewasrugged.Hislightbrowneyesappearedalmostmischievous,the
lines crinkling at either side with each of his grins, and more so with his wide smiles.
SladeRockersknewhewasgorgeous,hehadto.Andifhisscenthadn’tintoxicatedher
intoazombie-likestate,she’dmoveaway,puttingmorespacebetweenthem.

“Youwanttoask?”

“Askyouwhat?”

Sladetippedhishead,clearinghisthroat.“You’reaskingwhyIorderedforyetanother

womanoftheCollinsfamily.”

He rolled his lips as if he was trying really hard not to laugh at her expense. Kori

appreciatedit,butshestillfeltthestingofactinglikeatotalidiotinfrontofMr.TooHot.

He motioned between the two of them. “I seem to be blowing it badly because you

aren’trespondingtowhatIthoughtwereprettyblaringsigns.”Hewinked.“Therepeated
visits,cominginagainandagain,evenwhenIknowliketoday,theorderisn’tready?You
might be an amazing florist, but you’re not a magician, Kori. I knew damn well you
probablyhadnoclueyouhadanorderwaiting.ButIwantedtoseeyou—neededto.”

His voice was husky, teasing, but his words drew her in, a moth to a flame. And she

wasgoingtorisktheburn.Koriblinked.Andblinkedagain.Shepulledinadeepbreath,
his scent taking her under even more. “What? Me?” She looked behind her, to the large
canvasofherandLaylastandinginfrontofthestore.Amarketingadthey’drun,butthe
photoshoothadproducedapicturetheybothloved.“ButLayla?”

Sladeblewoutadeepbreath.Shereallyhadn’tgottenthesignalshe’dbeentryingto

send,butnotbecauseshewasn’tinterested.Eachtimehehadcomein,placingfictitious
ordersforseveralofthewomenhecaredforintheCollinsfamily,he’dfallenbitbybitfor
Kori.Hisegohadtakenafewshotsthough.Theentirefamilyandregularsatthebarwere
allgivinghimarationofshitoverhisveryheartfeltfloraldeliveries.Theysawthrough
thesham,allthewaytothechasehewason.Untilnow,hefiguredKorihadtoo,andwas
putoffbyhisneedtohaveareasontocomeseeher.

Aweekintohisinfatuationwiththedarkauburnbeauty,hercousinhadcaughthimby

thearminpassingonthesidewalkbetweenthepubandtheshop.Laylahadtoldhimto
keep after her, that Kori was worth the chase if Slade could get passed the doubt and
insecuritieshercousinpossessed.Atthetime,herwordshadstunnedhim,thenKorihad
becomeamission.Shehauntedhisdreamsatnight,andfloatedthroughhismindoverand
over during the day. He hadn’t given much thought to the push her cousin had directed
himwith.Untilnow.

Shewassoflusteredatthemoment,ittookSladeafewsecondstogatherhisownwits.

Hedidn’tunderstand.Koriwasthemostbeautifulwomanhe’deverencountered.Surely,
shehaddateslinedupforthenextsixmonths,probablylonger.Hewasjustawashed-up
hockeyplayer,yetsomethingaboutherhadhimcomingback,spendingfortunesongifts
forfriendswhenhe’dratherbespendinghishard-earnedmoneyonher.

Whensheglancedupwardatthepictureofherandhercousin,ithithimlikeatonof

bricksassheloweredherhead.

ThoughLaylawasverykind,veryateaseintalkingtocustomers,shewasnottheone

who’d stolen his heart several weeks prior. It wasn’t Layla who made him smile
throughout the day for no reason. Layla was very pretty, but it had been Kori who
consumed him, though she didn’t know it. Maybe the Irish in the Collinses’ blood was
rubbing off on him after all these years, because all their talk of fate and destiny made
sensefinally.

“Kori.”Heduckedhishead,tryingtoseethroughthecascadeofauburnhairblocking

her eyes from him. He reached out, tipping her chin upward. Her skin was so soft, the

contact

from the slight touch drew him behind the wooden counter before he could stop

himself.Sladeslidhispalmsacrossbothhercheeks,brushingawaytheshieldshe’dbeen
hidingbehind.“I’vehadtoseeyou,andIdidn’twantyoutothinkIwasanuisance,soI
keptplacingorders.But…itwasyouIwantedtocometalkto.ItwasyouIwantedspend
asmanyminuteswithaspossible.”

Linescameandwentacrossherforehead,hecouldreadherblueeyes;theself-doubt

someonehadleftbehindwasevident.Hetampeddowntheangersuddenlybrewinginside
him.TherewassomethingaboutKori,abouthersoul,thatleftnodoubtsshewasinnately
sweet, good and kind. What he read in Kori’s eyes told him someone had taken her for
grantedanditgavehimtheproverbialgreenlight.Somethingroaredtolifeinsidehim.A
darkerneedforthewomanhewasholding.Hewasdrawnevenmoretowardher,notonly
tohaveher,buttoprotecther.

Slade leaned in, placing a very delicate kiss on her lips. More than a peck, but not

enoughshe’dhaveareasontoslaphimifhe’dmisreadtheentiresituation.

Whenhepulledback,hewasentrancedwatchingthetipofhertonguerunacrossher

lowerlip,rightbeforeshepulledherlipbetweenherteeth,worryingit.Thoughthekiss
hadbeenslight,itwasmorethanenoughtotellhimthechemistrypullinghimthroughthe
shop’sfrontdooronaregularbasiswasreal.

“IhopeI’mnotmisreadingthissituation,Idofeelsomethingforyou,Kori,morethan

justattraction.Wouldyouliketo—”

“Yes.”

Herinterruptedanswerforcedalltheairfromhislungs.“Oh,thankGod.”Hechuckled,

his nerves betraying him. “You have no idea how hard it’s been for me to work up the
couragetoaskyouout.”

Koriblinkedathisadmission.“You?Nervous?”Shewasstillhavingtroublebelieving

someonelikeSladewasinterestedinher,simpleKori,notherbeautifulblondebombshell
cousin.

“Areyoukidding?Idon’tthinkIcouldhaveshownmyfaceagainonthissideoftown

ifyou’dhaveshotmedown.Thinkaboutit,yourealizethateverymemberoftheCollins
family is watching me. Do you know what kind of tales of love and folklore Patrick
Collinshasbeenveryhappytotellmeallabout?It’sbeenmorethanobviousasIcomein
toworkwithflowersfromheretwoorthreetimesaweek.Soyousee,thelongerittook
metogetyoutonoticeme,themorehesitantIwasbecominginflatoutasking.”

“Meshootyoudown?Youarefreakingcrazy.”Sheslappedherpalmoverhermouth

again. The man had been coming in their shop regularly, and it was as if she’d
inadvertently lost more and more brain cells with each sale. Slade Rockers was the first
mantomakeherfeellikeshewasgoingtoselfcombust.

“Well,Ithinkwe’veofficiallyworkedoutthatwelikeeachother—thoughneitherofus

knowswhattosaytotheother.So,I’mgoingtomanup—wouldyouliketograbdinner
withme?Imean,wouldyouliketogoonadate…withme?Sorry,Igotexcitedandforgot

toatleastpretendIhavegoodmanners.”

Kori was mesmerized by the timid grin forming, moving the faint scar with it.

“Dinner?”sheasked,thenglancedaround,lookingeverywherebutathisface.Hisrequest
felt surreal, as if she had hit her afternoon slump and actually fallen asleep behind the
counter.Dreamingofacertainbar-backwhoworkeddownthesidewalk.

Awarmhandslidacrosshercheekanddownherneck.“So,whatdoyousay,sugar?”

Dinner. She’d forgotten all about his question. Kori swallowed hard and nodded, not

trustinghervoice,orhermouth.SomethingaboutSlademadeherinnerdumbassflyfree,
andshewasafraidhe’drethinkhisdecision.

“If you’re up for it, maybe we could do more than dinner? Maybe a movie or

something?Whatdoyoudoliketodoinyourfreetime?”heasked.

“Youmean,forfun?You’reacomedian.WhenI’mnotworking,Icatchuponsleep,

then if there’s a half hour or more left, I work up the energy to go out and buy a few
groceries.Veryexciting,Iknow.”Korihatedhowmuchherlifesoundedconsumedbythe
store,butshewouldn’ttradeitfortheworld,notwhenshewassurroundedbysomuch
beauty.Sheexpectedhimtobalkorrollhiseyes,buthewasquiet,thenheglancedbehind
hertotheglassrefrigeratordoors.

“Igetit.Whenyoulovewhatyoudo,it’snotwork.”

“If you’re trying to aim for brownie points, damn, did you just earn them.” She

chuckled.

He wiggled his brows. “Good. I’ll be cashing them in now. When is your next early

evening?Orevenlatemorning?”

Shestifledagrin,theprideacrosshisfaceevident.“Oh,youworknights,Iforgot.”

“YouknowwhenIworkatthepub?”

Busted. His voice changed, something darker, not anger, but more of a teasing pride,

laced his words. The corner of his mouth moved upward, the small scar she’d become
fascinatedtwitched.Hetippedhishead.“YouknowIworkthere,youhaven’tbeeninthat
I’ve seen, trust me, I’d have been very excited to see you. Have you been avoiding it…
becauseof—”

“Oh my God yes. Yes, I couldn’t face you.” She swallowed, a weight pushed her

shouldersdown,embarrassedshe’dspewedmorefactsout.

Slade’s demeanor, his build, the way he carried himself with an air of confidence

wasn’tsomethingshewasusedto.Itdidn’tintimidateher,shewastheoppositearoundthe
man. Near him, she felt safe. Apparently so safe she could rattle off any thought in her
head.

Hewasstillholdingherclose,scootingawayorhidingwasn’tanoption,soshestared

at the snap on his heavy jacket instead. With his knuckle he edged her chin upward,
kissingheragain.Deeperthanbefore.Korimeltedintohishold.Sparkszappedinsideher,
hewasmakingeverydreamshe’dformedofhimcometolife.Ifhehadbeentoyingwith
likingherandwantingtoaskherout,andhadbeennervousasheclaimed,hisconfidence

seemedjustfinenow.

“Don’tavoidthepubanymore,sweetheart,”hesaidagainstherlips.

Korinodded.

“Good. Glad we got that worked out. Okay, so schedules are going to be a bit of a

puzzle,butnothingwecan’tworkaroundandfigureout.AreyougoingtoworkSunday
withtheholidaycoming,orgoaheadandstayclosedlikenormal?”heasked.

“Youknowwe’reclosedonSundays?”Heonlywinkedtoanswer.“Weshould,butno,

we’llneedthesleep.EspeciallyfornextTuesdayandWednesday.Idon’tgetit.Growing
up,weneverhadspecialflowersaroundforadaythatrevolvesaroundfood,anditwas
ourgrandmotherwhowasthegardener.Bythen,thattimeofyear,herflowersweregone.
Butdamn,thesedaysifwedon’tgetashittonofsinglemeninhere.Afewwomen,too.
Layla and I have tried to guess why they all come in, it’s not as if we advertise for
Thanksgiving.Idon’twanttojinxtheamountofbusiness,but,well?”Sheshrugged.

“Simple. The women are apologizing for not coming home to help cook. Either they

can’t, or…more likely—they don’t want to. And the men are trying to impress family
they’venevermetorhardlyknow.”

“Sonofabitch.Thatmakessomuchsense.OhmyGod,I’vegottocallLayla.She’s

going to freak out, we finally have an answer to our mystery.” Kori grinned to herself.
“And,nowshe’llreallybealloverme,pushingmetocallyouevenmorethanshealready
does—” Kori stopped mid-sentence. She’d done it again. He scrambled her senses and
madeherforgettomonitorwhatshesaidaroundhim.

“Layla’sbeentryingto…?”heurged,smiling.“Getyoutocallme?Totalk?Notjust

tellmeanorderIplacedisready?”

Koriletherheadfallforward,herhaircascadingwiththemotion,hidingheragain.“I

tellherIdon’tknowyournumber.”

“Whichisn’ttrue.”

Korishookherhead.“AndshekeepstellingmetojustgotoPat’s.”

Warm arms embraced her in a strong hug, his palms rubbing her back. She felt his

breathbeforehewhisperedinherear.

“Listentoyourcousin…please.”

ChapterFive

Slade walked up the stairs to Kori’s townhome, trying to avoid the icy patches. He

hadn’tbeenthisnervousathislasttryoutafewmonthsbefore.Thatafternoon,hishopes
for a professional hockey career had officially ended. He’d spent a few moments in a
tailspinbeforepackinghisshitandmovingforward.He’dbeenupsetandscaredforthe
unknownthatlifewasabouttothrowathim.

That afternoon was nothing in comparison to this brisk Sunday morning of

Thanksgivingweek.Whenheliftedhishand,itwasshaking.Sladeclencheditshut,then
knockedonKori’sdoor.

Hewassuchapansy.It’dbeenallhecoulddonottorundowntheblockonhisbreaks

atPat’s,orbesittingontheirdoorstep,waitingforthemtoopentheirshopeachmorning.
Fourdaysnearlydidhimin.Sladepurposelyswitchedshiftswithotheremployeestrying
tokeepbusysohedidn’tgocrazywanderingaroundhiscondothinkingaboutKori.

Theclinkofthechainsoundedasitslidagainstmetal,thenthedooropened.Ninety-six

hours had felt like forever, and the wait had him strung so tight, he wanted to push her
insideandupagainsttheclosestwall.

“Morning,Kori,”hesaid,clampingdownonhisbaserinstincts.

“You’reearly.”Shesmiledandmovedaside,herarmextended.“Howhaveyoubeen?I

noticedIhaven’thadanyorderstomakerecently.”

Herairquotesattheword“orders”wastoomuch.Sladeshookhisheadassheshutthe

frontdoor.Whensheturnedbacktowardhim,hesteppedintoherspace,pullingherclose.
“ItwasallIcoulddonottocomeseeyou.”Heleanedin,kissingherlips.“Goodmorning,
beautiful.”

Nothing stopped Slade in his tracks like hearing the catch in her breath. Knowing he

hadaneffectonthiswomansenthisegoofftherails.Hereyesopened,andsheblinkeda
fewtimes,appearingtobecaughtoffguard.Hetuckedastrandofhairbehindherear.

“Goodmorningtoyou,too.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t reply so sweet and breathlessly. I won’t be able to remain a

gentleman.”

“Me?”sheasked.

Again,hervoicewasbarelyaboveawhisper.Shewasunravelinghim,andthey’dspent

all of two minutes in each other’s presence. “Kori Dalton,” he sighed, and rested his
foreheadagainsthers,“whatamIgoingtodowithyou?”Hewatchedhereyesfluttershut,
tookinthewayhershouldersliftedwithherbreath.

Koriinhaledthefamiliarscentshe’dgrowntocrave.“Um.Coffee.Yousaidyouwere

going to do me with coffee.” She backed out of his arms in time to see him snicker.
“What?”

Henodded.“Uh,yeah,Ididsaysomethinglikethat…kindof.”Thenhechuckled.

She ran her statement through her head, and then smacked him. “This is you. It’s all

yourfault.Whydoyoumakemesaystupidshit?”

Sladeputhisarmup.Korismackedathimagain,andagainashestartedactinglikeshe

was full-on assaulting him, both arms up and ducking. He reached out, grabbing her
aroundthewaistwhilelaughing.Korimeltedagainsthim,feelingthemuscledwallofhis
bodythroughhisunbuttonedcoat.Sladehadcontinuedlaughing,adeep,fun-filled,joyful
noisethatwascontagious.

Shewasfallingfast.Hermindkepttellinghertokeepasafedistance,butherheartwas

enjoyingbeingheldclosetohim.Korilovedthewayhewasplacingsoftkissesalongher
neckwhilecontinuingtochuckleandlightlytickleher.Hewasn’tpushinghimselfonher,
butheleftnoroomforhertoguesshowhefelt.

“Mmm. You smell so sweet. I just want to kiss you here.” He nibbled on her jaw,

nippedatherear.“Andhere.”Henuzzledherneckasheheldherhairoutofhisway.

“Coffee,” Kori replied to the man rapidly breaking every defense she’d put in place.

“Breakfast?”

“Ididpromiseyouadate,didn’tI?”

Kori held in the ragged breath he was causing by rubbing his cheek against hers, the

feeloftheroughshadowgracinghisjawlinealmostenoughtomakeherdraghimtoher
roominsteadofoutthefrontdoor.“I’msorryit’snotarealdate,”shewhispered.

He stood up straight, holding her out a few inches from him. “Just because our time

together today isn’t at, say, seven o’clock, at a fancy restaurant, doesn’t mean it’s not a
dateinmybook.AnytimeIgettospendwithyou,I’mgoingtoconsideradate,including
ourbreakfastIpromised.”

Therewerenowords;hesimplyleftherbreathlesswithhiskissesandhissincerity.

“Oh…Ihadanidea,ifyou’regame?”Hegrinned.“Iknowyouwanttorestupbefore

yourbusyweekcomingup,butIthoughtmaybeyou’dwanttogoskating?Youcansay
noifit’snotyourthing,butIhaven’tbeentothatopenrinkbyworkinyears.Unless—”

“Icanskate.I’mnotgoingtosayIcandofancyturnsandstuff,butIcangoforward…

andbackward.”

Therewasatwinkleinhiseye,andhismouthtwitchedasifhewastryingnottogrin.

Koritippedherchinup,willinghimtosaysomething.

“Anyoneevertoldyouhowcuteyouarewhenyou’resassy?”

Sheglancedatthefloorandlaughed.“Nope.ButIwasofferedabarofsoapatimeor

two when I was little. If that counts?” She looked back up, his silence had her stunned.
He’d been grinning and teasing, but something had darkened his eyes, his jovial smile
replaced with something much more serious. Kori felt the chemistry between them shift

intooverdrive,andshedidn’tdarebreakawayfromthebrowneyeslockedonher.Hewas
reading her, she could tell, but she was at a loss as to what he was thinking. Her mouth
wentdry,whichwasfine;shehadnocluewhattosayordo.

Washeputoffbyherinabilitytoactandspeaknormallyaroundhim?Washegoingto

makefun?ShewasonforeigngroundwithSlade,notknowingwhichwaytostep.Buthis
heatedgaze had herso turned onshe hurt. Slade hadn’tlet go ofher either, if anything,
he’d pulled her tighter to his chest. She could hear his breathing, though it sounded
strained,asifhewastryingtocontrolhimself.Koriswallowedhardashisbrowrose.

“I’ll keep that in mind, but I wouldn’t be using soap as a punishment,” he replied,

staringforseverallongseconds.Thenhewinked.

He dropped a peck on the tip of her nose, and the fire from the moment was washed

away,replacedwithlightness.Korifeltalltheairrushfromherchest.Shedidn’tknowthe
manwell,butintheirbriefstandoff,shehadbeendrivenclosetothebrinkofyankinghis
coatoff,theneveryotherlayerhewaswearing,andforgettingaboutbreakfast.Nowshe
neededahellofalotmorefromSladethanadamnpeckonthenose.

Onesideofhismouthtippedupwardinaslygrin.Heknewexactlywhathe’ddone,

howhe’dleftherfeelingcompletelyhorny.

Koripointedathim.“Stop.Don’tyoudaretrytoreadmymind.”

“Sweetheart. I don’t have to try.” He grabbed her tight, hugging her to him and

whisperedinherear,“Youreyes,thewayyourcheeksturnpink,yourfacesaysvolumes.
So, let’s just say the nervousness you had me strung up with these last few weeks is all
gone.ThefearIheldinsidethatI’dpossiblycomeontoostrongandscareyouoff—Ican
sense what you need. I don’t have to try to read your thoughts, you’re an open book,
honey,andit’sgonnamakemylifeahellofaloteasierthanthelastfewweeks.So,thank
you.”

“Thankyouforwhat?”

“LikingmeasmuchasIlikeyou,”hesmartedback.

“WhatifIdon’tlikeyou?”

Slade eased her back and Kori saw the fire in his eyes at the game she’d apparently

started.Shebitherlip.Hismouthtwisted,anornerygrinformed.

“Icango—”

“No!”

“Ifeelthesameway,sugar.”

Shetriedherbesttopout,buthissmilewaswaytoopowerful,itmadeherfeellikeshe

wasthecenterofhisworld.Eveniftheyneverwentoutagain,thismorningwouldbeone
she’d never forget. A true romantic at heart, she was smart enough to know something
aboutSladewasdifferent.Herbodywasn’tgoingtogiveheranyoption,sheneededtosee
wherehewasgoingtoleadher.

Slade had to get them both out of the house before her sweet smiles, shocked

expressionsandlaughterallforcedhimtoyankoffhiscoatandstartkissingherfromhead
totoe.Andmore.“Doyouhaveskates,sweetheart?”

“There,inthefrontclosetbehindyou.Nothingfancy,butthey’lldo.”

He opened the door, scanning the contents until, on a shelf, he eyed a pair of white

boots. Slade reached for the nearly pristine skates while trying not to become overly
excited. When he turned around, he took off one blade cover, ran his finger over the
sharpenedmetal.“Youknowhowtodoahellofalotmoreontheicethanyouledmeto
believe.Youwouldn’thaveapairoffigureskatesthisexpensiveifyouonlywentoncein
agreatwhile,orusedtoskatewhenyouwereagirlandhaven’tbeeninadecade.”

Shejerkedhershoulder,lookingeverywherearoundtheroom—exceptathim.“Imight

knowhowtodoacoupleofthings,nothingbig.”Sheclearedherthroat.“Iguessif…well.
I’mgoingtogochangerealquick,ifthat’sokaywithyou.”

Heglancedatherskirtandtights.“I’msorry.Ithrewawrenchintheday,huh?”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just didn’t know what to wear, how to dress—you know, for

whateverweweregoingtodo.”Sheedgedpasthim.“I’llhurry.”

He was already getting hot with his coat on, but from the moment he’d crossed the

thresholdofherdoor,shehadhisbodyheatratchetingthroughtheroof.“Hey,hon,canI
grabaglassofwater?”

“Sure,”sheholleredfromaroomattheendofthehall.“Glassesaretotherightofthe

sink,oryoucangrababottleofwateroutofthefridgeifyou’drather.”

Sladeopenedtherefrigeratordoor.“Um…Kori.What’syourmiddlename?”

“Why?”

“SoIcanuseitwhenIneedit.Likenow.Whatinthehelldoyoueat?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

Hervoicecamefromrightbehindhim.Sladeopenedthedoorwidertorevealanalmost

barerefrigerator.“Likeasinnow,IwouldbesayingKori…whateveryourmiddlenameis,
whatthehelldoyoufeedyourself?”Sladenearlylostallcontroloverhisrollercoasterof
emotions,watchingherpetulantsmiletwistasshebattedhereyesathim.

“Let’s just say I get the family discount at Sunday’s.” She put her hands out and

shrugged.“It’sridiculoustocookforone,soIgrabasaladorwhateversoundsgoodatthe
timeonmywayhomeatnight,orifI’mworkinglate,I’llruntherebeforeLaylaleaves
andtakeitbacktothestoretoeat.Trustme,I’mwellfed.”

Heshutthedoortothefridge,steppedtowardhercounterandsetdowntheskateshe

wasstillholding.Inside,hewascounting,pacinghisbreathing.Thelastthingintheworld
hewantedtodowasscareKori,however,iftherewaseveraperfectdreamgirloutthere
for him, he was smart enough to know she was within inches of him. Kori made him
smile,madehimlaugh;hecouldtellshewaslyinghercutelittleassoffaboutskating,and
thatexcitedhim.Theyhadacommonloveoftheice,butitwasthehungersheignitedin
himthathadhisheartracing.He’dneverbeeninthissituationbefore,he’dneverhadmet

anotherwomanwhoheinnatelyknewwashisperfectmatch.

Sladeenjoyedsexasmuchasthenextguy,buttherewassomethingdifferentaboutthis

woman.Shehadhimwantingherunlikeanyother.Hewantedtotakehistimeandsavor
her, get to know her. But with every bat of her eye, though she wasn’t overtly trying to
seduce him, she had no idea of the fire she was stoking within him. Her little taunts,
combinedwithsimple,innocentstatementslike“wellfed,”wentstraighttothegutterin
hispervertedmind.

“What’swrong?”Hervoicewasquieter,moreunsure.

“Nothing,honey.Why?”

Kori’s brows were knitted, one wrinkle creased along her forehead. “Because you

closedyoureyesandshookyourhead.Wedon’thave—”

Slade had her in his arms, walking her backward toward the kitchen wall, cutting off

hersentence.Hekissedher,softatfirst,thenharder.Theneedhe’dbeenkeepingtamped
downdeepinsidehimwasclawingtothesurface.

She moved her hands under his coat and fisted his shirt. The sweet gasps and tiny

moansweredoinghimin.Hemovedtoherneck,butinsteadofkisses,hespoketoher,his
mouthnearherskin,inhalingherperfumeashedraggedinmuchneededoxygen.

“Iwasshakingmyheadbecauseeverylittlethingyousay,yourfaces,evenifyoudon’t

meanit,Ican’thelpit…theytwistinmyheadanditallbecomesdirtyand…I’mtryingto
remain a gentleman, Kori Dalton. Everything about you, the way you work so hard and
love what you do, you’re smart, funny, and the way you twist your words then get
flustered,justwrapsaroundmysoulsotight.Iwanttokeepseeinghowmuchmorewe
haveincommonbesidesskating.I’veneverwantedanywomanthisbad.AndIshouldbe
scared but instead, I’m doing my best not to drag you down the hall to your room and
showyoujustexactlywhatI’vedreamedofdoingsincethenightImetyou.I’vebeenon
edgeforweeks…andyou’rekillingme.”

“Grace,”shewhispered.

“What?”

“Mymiddlename.”

Heleanedbackenoughtoreadherblueeyes.Theywerenearlymidnightblueandhalf-

lidded, her breathing was choppy and she was waiting for his next move. Above all, he
sawthedesire.Andshe’dadmittedsomuchmoretohimthansimplyhermiddlename.

Sladehadknownitwouldn’ttakemuchtimeatallbeforePatrickCollinsheardabout

his infatuation with Kori Dalton. He’d been told by several in the Collins clan to be
preparedforPop’swordsofwisdom.

ThenightPathadfinallynudgedhischintowardtheemptybarstoolbesidehim,heand

Sladeeachdrankapint,maybemore.TheCollinses’patriarch’smessagestartedoutwitha
story of his own past, of Ireland and his love for his wife that left the world too soon,
Sunday. Other than Tris, there wasn’t another man Slade admired more than Pat. He’d
drift off, remembering tales and stories of his children’s paths to love, and at the end of

each,hewascarefultostop.He’dlookupathimandgiveanexampleofwhathe’dseen
sinceSladehadmetKori.Patpointedouttherewasagrowingaffectionbetweenthetwo
ofthem,andhefinallysaidnottowalkbywhatfatehaddeliveredtohim.

Trishadtoldhimtherewassomethingelseouttherethedayhe’dwalkedawayfrom

hockey. Pat said it was the stars aligning to bring Kori and Slade together, that it was
meanttobe,theyweremeanttobe.

Sladehadsatsilentforalmostanhour,lettingeverywordtheelderlymanspokesoak

in.

How Pat knew, Slade chalked up to the man being older and wiser. He let himself

pretenditwasIrishfolklore,allofPat’stalkofchanceversusdestiny.Buttheolderman
wasrightasrain.He’dknownthenighthe’dmetKori,feltthechemistry,sawasparkin
hereyeshe’dneverseenbefore.Shemadehisheartjumplikenootherandhe’dthought
ofonlyherforweeks.

“Hewassorightaboutyou.”

“He?You’vetalkedtosomeoneaboutme?”

Herbrowfurrowed,shepulledherlipbetweenherteeth.Hecouldseetherewasafine

linebetweenconfusionandanger.

“Yeah.MorelikeIwashandedamugandtoldtosit.ButPat,hesaidtherewouldnot

beasingledoubtI’dmettherightonewhenshecamealong.Somehow,heevenknewit
wasyou,hecalledyoubyname,not‘theone’,or‘somedayyou’llknow’.Hewasright.”

“Youdidorderoverthreehundreddollars’worthofflowers,Slade.I’veknownPatrick

forseveral years, too.The man issmart as a whip,but looking back,you colored in the
pictureprettyclearforanyonetosee.”Shepaused.“Exceptme,itseems.”

“Ishouldhavejustaskedyououtsooner,butIwassoafraidyou’dsayno.”

“Iwasreallyjealousofyourblinddate.”

“Shenevershowed.ThankGod.So,Itookyourflowershomewithmeandneverquit

thinkingaboutyou.”

Hereyescrinkledatthecorners,herfacelightingup,anditwereasifSladewatchedan

imaginaryweightfalloffhershoulders.Sheputherfingerstohermouth,butshecouldn’t
hidethegiggle.

Sladetippedhischin,lookingdownhisnoseather.“It’snotnicetolaughatamanwho

justadmittedhe’sbeenalovesickfool,KoriGrace.”Hereyeswentwideattheauthority
he’dasserted…justashe’dhoped.

ChapterSix

Her laughter was contagious, and Slade found himself thoroughly enjoying being on

the ice. He skated beside her, feeling freer than he’d ever been. There wasn’t anyone
watchinghiseverymove,everycut.Thespeedatwhichheattackedapuckwasn’tevena
consideration.Koriglancedupwithpinkcheeksandhisheartmelted.

Shekeptupwithhimeasily,glidingeffortlesslywiththegraceofaballetdancer.With

no visible effort, she was facing him suddenly, skating backward, her long legs making
stridesasifshewasonair.Sheoccasionallypeekedoverhershouldertoseetrafficonthe
ice,otherwiseherattentionwastrainedonhim.Shewasn’tstaring,wasn’tflirting,there
wasn’tanimaginarychessboardtheywerefumblingon,eachmovecalculatedinagame
offirst-datemoves.

Afamiliarsoundsnappedhimoutofarapidlyformingdaydreaminvolvingtheauburn

beautysmilingathim.Hepulledhercloserandshetwisted,propellingherselfforwardas
Sladenoticedhowperfectlyshefitbesidehim.

Anotherthudagainstthewallsentasparkthroughhim,despitehisbestefforttoignore

itandthememoriesitstirred.

“Sweetheart,I’msosorry.WouldyouhatemeifIexcusedmyselfforaquicksecond?”

“Ofcoursenot.Iseverythingallright?”

Theystoppedbythehalfwalloftheoutdoorrink.“Yes.Neverbetter.”Henuzzledthe

soft skin of her neck, brushing the hair out of his way to kiss her. “I’ll be right back.
Promise.”

Kori leaned against the wall and grinned with pride. Their last circle around the ice,

she’dnoticedthesmallboywearingapairofhockeyglovesandahelmet,holdingastick
inthecorner,allbyhimself.Ifshehadtoguessbyhissize,hecouldn’thavebeenmore
than seven, but he was putting all his might into each swing of his stick. He tried
slammingthepuckintothesmallnet,occasionallymakingcontact.

She’d been watching Slade as she heard the puck hit the wall over and over. He

concentratedonthechild,orratherthewaythepuckwasfloatingacrosstheice.Atfirst
she thought it was endearing that he’d want to help the child. His eyes finally revealed
something, though she still couldn’t read him like he could her. There was something
missinginhislife.

Thespeedatwhichheskatedtowardtheboywasincredible,andhezoomedaroundthe

othersontheiceasiftheywerenon-existent.Shehadbeenponderingwhyhe’dsuggested
skating after their Sunday breakfast. It wasn’t as easy to have a conversation with
someone,andneitherknewtheotherwasn’tsimplyabeginningskater.

Shecontinuedstudyinghim,thewayhemoved,witheachstridehetookshenoticeda

powerlurking,asifhewasslamminghisskateintotheicetopropelhimselfevenfaster.
Asheapproachedtheboyshesawpurejoyonthechild’sface,asifherecognizedSlade.

“Hewithyou?”

Kori should have known, should have counted the seconds it would take before the

oldermanswoopedin.

Heat spread over her face. There wasn’t any use in denying it; just the answer to

Simon’squestionmadeherfeelgiddy.Sheturnedslightlysoshecouldstillkeepherdate
inhervisionandanswerthemanshe’dknownherentirelife.“Yes,I’mherewithSlade.
We’reonadate.”

Shecouldtellhewasabouttogiveheralecture,oneofthreeinhisrepertoire,andall

wereburnedintohermemory.

Buthestopped,hismouthstillopen,andlookedpasther.

“Slade? Slade Rockers? I haven’t seen that boy play since high school. I didn’t even

recognizehim.Wow.”Hepointedacrosstheice.“Thatrightthereiswherethedefinition
ofphenomcomesfrom.”

“What?”

“Kori,pleasetellmeyouknow—”

“Idoknowhim.I’mnotoutwithatotalstranger.GoodGod,Simon.I’mnotnaïve.I

knowhim.Atleastsome.HeworksatPat’s.Theywouldn’thavehiredhim—letalonelet
megooutwithhim—ifhewasadangerouspsycho.”

“Buthedidn’ttellyoumuchabouthimself?”

“It’sourfirstdate.Geez.MightaswellcallyouDad.”

“And I’d answer to it if you did. But Slade, did he not mention anything about his

career?”

“At Pat’s? What’s to tell? I know how hard the Collinses all work. I’m sure he’s the

same.”

Simon shook his head and held up his hand. “No, hon. He was in the NHL. He’s

special.Heskatedhereonceinawhilebackwhenhewasyounger,whenI’dcleartheice
forstickandpucktimes.Butthenhewentontoplaycompetitive.Ikepttabsonhim…I
don’tknow,somethingabouthim.Iknewhe’dmakeit.”

“But?” Kori was so confused. “Why is he at Pat’s? Why doesn’t he play now?” She

turnedherfullattentiontothelittleboyandherdate.Thenewfoundknowledgemadehis
gestureseemmoremonumentalthansimplyhelpingachild.Hewasinhiselement.Kori
couldn’t help but fall a little more, minute by minute, for the man she could clearly see
was in heaven. His smile was so bright while talking to the kiddo, it was dangerously
closetomeltingtheice.SheturnedbacktoSimon.“Whathappened?”

“Hewasoneofthetougherones,wasagoodguy,andagreatplayer.Healsotookone

toomanyhits.Toomanyconcussions,andhisteamcuthim.Iheardhewastryingother

teams, and the last one, well…another player—same caliber, same skills, same speed—
took the open spot. Everyone agrees, Slade should have gotten it. But the front office
knewthey’dgetmoretimeoutofayoungerman’sbody.”

“Seriously?He’snotold.”

“Honey,intheworldofsports,therearetwothingsallathletesfear—injuriesandage.

They might outrun injuries, but no one has won the battle of the birthdays. And to pro
teams, that’s not something to be celebrated with a cake and party. He had both against
him.”

Kori’sheartsank,saddenedforwhatSladehadlostouton.Shecouldn’timaginenot

beingabletoworkeverydaydoingsomethingsheloved.

“Ishouldn’thavetoldyouallthis.Ifeelbad.Maybeheisn’treadytosharethiswith

anyone.”

“No.I’mgladyoudid.Helookssoincrediblyhappyoverthere.”Shewavedherhand

behindher.

“Well,he’sleftyouoverhereforalmostanhour.Ifiguredmyfavoriteskaterprobably

understoodhelpingtheyoungeronesstartingout.”

Slade’sskatescuttheice,thescreechloudinherears,andthenshefelthimbehindher.

Simonputhishandup.“Saveyourapology,youngman,andmarrythisone.”

“Simon!” Kori blew out a breath and silently begged the gods above to make her

vanishintothinair.

“What?”Heputhishandsup.

“Ijusttoldyouthiswasourfirstdate.Asinever.”

“Andyouwatchedhimwithadreamylookonyourfacetheentiretime.You’reahell

ofacoach,Rockers.”

Slade’sbrowfurrowed.

“You’re amazing with children. I think you were meant for something else…besides

playing,Imean.”

Hervoicehadfalteredonthelastsentiment.Hewishedhewasalonewithhertoclear

upthequestionshecouldfeelshewantedtoask.

“Youdidn’tknow,didyou?”heasked.

Korishookherhead.

Part of him was relieved. He’d have to explain why he was cut, that the doctors had

toldhimmultipletimesitwasforhishealthandheneededtolookoutforhisfuture.Their
words didn’t help the sting his ego felt. The other half of him knew Kori really was for
him,shedidn’tknowhe’dbeenanythingotherthanabartenderandwasoutwithhim.She
waswithhimbecauseofhim,nothisname,orhispriorstardom.

“Isecondher.Ineedacoachlikeyou.Interested?”

“Pleasesayyes,sir.”

TheyturnedtotheshyvoicestandingnearSlade’sleg.Noneofthemhadnoticedthe

littleboyhadcomecloseandwaseavesdroppingashisfatherwalkedintheirdirection.

Whenhe’dfirstapproachedher,“I’msosorry”hadbeenpoisedonthetipofSlade’s

tongue.He’dglancedathiswatchaftertellingJakehowtoadjusthisgriponthestickfor
a goal shot, and realized he’d lost an hour. Slade had apologized to the little guy and
wishedhimgoodluck,thenproceededtoskatefasterthanhehadinanygame.Ofallthe
stupidthingshockeyhaddonetohislife,howmuchit’dstolenfromhim,thehardwork,
timeputin,theheart-wrenchingending—noneofitwouldhurthimasmuchasblowing
hischancewithKori.Theonewomanwhohadtheabilitytomakehimfeelliketheking
oftheworldwithasimplesmile.

Hermouthtwistedandshebitherlip.Overthepastfewweeks,he’dlearnedhermouth

wasn’tsomethingshecontrolledeasily,watchinghertrymadehimchuckle.Shewantedto
speakhermind,buttheyweren’talone.

Then the man he finally remembered as the rink owner dropped the M word. His

stomachhadlurchedmomentarily,butwhenKoriprotested,hefoundhimselfconflicted.
She was the one, he knew it deep in his soul. He should be agreeing with her, this was
onlytheirfirstdate,yethismindwentwildwithpicturesofafuturetogether.

The minute she turned, those blue eyes locked on him with utter sincerity, and she

mightaswellhaveknockedhimonhisass.Forthefirsttime,hefeltsomeonebelievedin
himwholly.Aloudrushingsoundpoundedinhisearsashissenseswentonoverloadwith
allthenewpiecesofhislifeslippingintoplace.

“Please,Mr.Rockers?”Jakerepeated.

“Ohman.”Sladerubbedahandoverhisfaceashewasforcedbacktoreality.“Idon’t

know.I’veneverthoughtaboutit.Idon’tifIknowhowtoteach—”

“Youwerelikeamothtoaflame,son.Idon’tmeantointerrupt,butboy,youdoknow

how to coach. Kori and I stood here watching,” Simon said, then held out his hand. “I
doubt you remember me. Simon Charles, I own this rink. Your pop used to bring you
whenyouwereaboutJake’sage,evenyounger.Beenkeepingtabsonyoueversince.”

“Idon’tknowthefirstthingaboutcoaching.”Sladetriedagain.

“Slade,youcare.That’sthemostimportantpart.”Korireachedout,restingherpalmon

hischestasshespoke.“Andyouknowallthereistoknowaboutthesport.”

Sladedidn’thearawordshesaidaftershemadecontactwithhisbody.Hecoveredher

handwithhis.

Minutes seemed to pass as the conversation floated around Slade. Until small fists

grasped at his jeans, then held tight to his left knee, pushing him forward. He was mere
inchesfromKori’ssweetlips.

“Sorry,Mr.Rockers,”Jakesaid.

Sladedidn’twanttomove,hewantedtogoaheadandkissher.Theresponsibleadultin

him scooped the fallen child off the ice and held him steady until Jake regained his
footing.

“I really think you should consider Simon’s request. I’m sure you could figure

somethingoutthatwouldworkaroundthehoursyou’reatPat’sPub.”

Kori’s voice was timid, as if she was afraid to speak her opinion, but she was sure

enoughofherselftolookathiminsteadofattheicebeneaththeirskates.Whathereadin
hersmile,thecrinkledlinesnearhereyes,theintensityofhergaze…waspride.

He’dhadwomenstareathimbefore,buthe’dfeltlikeapieceofmeatonaplatter.Kori

made him feel the exact opposite. Slade had fallen several weeks prior with that first
chance meeting. The love in her eyes proved he was positively, one hundred percent
correct—shewastheone.

Hewasscaredtodeathtointroducehertohisdouche-bagfather,whostillsworeworse

than any sailor every time they spoke. Yelling about all he could have done differently.
Theshouldas,wouldasandcouldaswereaddingup,endinginhatredforamanhe’donce
lookedupto.Hismother,ontheotherhand,wouldadoreKori.Theonlyotherpeoplein
hislifewhomatteredwastheCollinsclan,andheknewtheiropinionalready.

The men, especially Tris, had been patting his back and giving their subtle approval.

ThewomenofthefamilyandPatrickhadbeenmoreobvious,tellinghimtohurryupand
putaringonherfinger…beforetheirfirstdate.Crazy,lovesick,fate-believingIrishfools.
However,hewasbeginningtothinktheywereright.

“Why don’t we grab some hot coffee or cocoa and I’ll tell you what I have in mind.

Thenyoutwocangoonaboutyourdate.”Simongrinned.

ChapterSeven

Slade had wrestled with sleep several nights in a row. He was in the small room the

staff of Pat’s and Sunday’s both used to store their belongings while working, when the
dooropened,barelymissinghisheadnotonce,buttwice.

Reenagasped.“I’msorry,Slade.”

“Noproblem.”

Ifhewantedtosoundlikeabusybody,oraCollins,he’daskthewaitresshowthings

were going with Rush. The downside of such a loving family holding their arms open
wide to those who worked for them was they were all subject to nosey questions. Slade
was in the same boat as Reena, and he really wanted to ask her if she and her new
boyfriend,Rush,hadtalkedabouthowfasttheythemselvesseemedtobemoving,butshe
appearedtobeinahurry.

“Anothertime,”hemuttered.

“What’sthat?”

“Oh,nothing.Talkingtomyself.You’redoneearly?”

“Yeah.”

“Lucky.Seeyalaterthen.”SladecheckedhisphoneafterReenashutthedoor.Notexts

or missed calls today from Kori. He’d been hoping they could eat dinner at Sunday’s
together.Disappointed,heslidhisphonebackinhiscubbyandwalkedout,turningdown
thelonghallway.

Afemininevoicedrewhimtowardthebar,smilingontheway.

“No.Butthankyou.No,really,thanksanyway.”

ItwasKori,herconversationmixedwiththatofaman.

WhenSladeturnedthecorner,henarrowedhisgaze,notrecognizingthemanstanding

withhishandonthebackofherchair.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude to visitors, but I don’t think my boyfriend would

likeitverymuchifIacceptedyourdrinkoffer.”

“Nev,bud,Ithinkthatmightbetheboyfriend…andhe’swatching,”hisfriendsaid.

Slade was indeed watching, and he saw two things. The slap from one stranger to

another,awarningofsorts,andthethousand-wattsmileKorilitthepubwithafterturning
tohim.

He ignored the half-assed apology from the other man as he made his way to his

girlfriend.

Thesoundoftheword“boyfriend”hadmadehissystemhum.Hefeltmorealivethan

ever before. She’d probably used it as a defense mechanism, but Slade was making it
permanent.

Hegottoherbeforeshecouldrise.Slidinghispalmsoverhersoftcheeks,heheldher

tight,likeamanpossessed,andkissedher.Notasweethello,butaclaimingkiss,onethat
leftthembothbreathlessashefinallypulledaway.

So many emotions flooded her face. What appeared to be relief, joy and the one that

meltedhim…adoration.

“Imissedyou.Iwasjustgoingthroughmyphonetoseeifyou’dtextedorleftmeany

messages.”

“Iwantedtosurpriseyou.”Shegrinned.

“Youinmyarmsisthebestkindofsurprise.I’mactuallyofffordinnerbreaknow.Do

youhavetimetoeatwithme?”

Shewinked,thenwaggedherbrows.“Iknowyouare.Ihadinsiderinfo.”

Hergazedriftedoverhisleftshoulder.HefollowedherlineofsighttoAilis.

“Shesaiditwasherwayofthankingusfortheflowersyouboughther.”

“You two are hysterical.” He mouthed “thanks” to his co-worker over the crowd of

people making their way in for the Ravens game. “But I’m glad you have an inside
source.”Holdingherhand,heledhertoatableinthebackofSunday’s,notquiet,butfor
theamountofbusinesstherestaurantdid,itwasasgoodasthey’dget.

“I knew you’d have to hurry, and you won’t tell me your favorite, so Riley’s making

whatshesaidyouordermostoften,”shesaidastheysatdown.

Sladeintertwinedtheirfingersandkissedthebackofherhand.“Good,Idon’twantto

waste one minute bothering with menus and such. And it’s Riley’s fault I don’t have a
favoritemeal;everythingissogoodIcan’tchoose.So,haveyouthoughtaboutSimon’s
questions?”

Hereyeswentwide.Herformercoachhadfilledhiminonherownalmoststory,while

she’d sat looking anywhere but at either of them. Kori could have been a professional
skaterinherownright.Insteadofageandinjuriesstandinginherway,it’dbeenmoney.

“Iguess,foraminute.I’mflattered,butIcan’t.IfIdid,I’donlyhaveonedaytogive

him and then I’d be working seven days a week. It wouldn’t leave me any time to see
you.”

“Well,sinceI’myourboyfriend,”hewatchedherfaceturnvariousshadesofred,“that

issomethingweneedtomakeapriority.”

Korihadpulledherhandfromhisandwashidingherface.“Youweren’tsupposedto

hearthat.AndIdidn’tthinkyouhad,sinceyoudidn’trespond.God,I’msoembarrassed.
It’swaytooearlytopresume—”

Slademovedherhandaway.“KoriGrace,onethingyou’llneverneedtobearoundme

is embarrassed. But I have to tell you, I’d been thinking it over myself. I love working
here,loveeverythingaboutit.IthinkhockeyissomethingI’mfinallyreadytowalkaway

from, permanently. Didn’t think I’d ever be saying those words, at least not yet.” He
paused. “But you came into my life and, a lot has changed since. I’m first on, first off
tonight, so I’ll get cut as soon as the game is over. I was wondering if by chance,” he
inhaled deeply, “you’d want to let me pick you up, along with a bag of whatever you
mightneed.Thenwouldyouliketogohomewithme…forthenight?”

They’d been lingering longer and longer in their nightly goodbyes. She had to be

expectinghisrequest.Sladestillinhaled,holdingitforheranswer.

Shebitherlipandnodded.

Sladewasataddisappointed,hopingtohearhergutreactionandwhatmightflyoutof

hermouth.Herquickreactionsneverfailedtoamusehim.Hethoughtofwhatliedahead
for his night and took her hand back in his grasp, turning it over. Bending slightly, he
kissedtheinsideofherwrist,inhalingherperfume.“Theremainderofthisshiftisgoing
tobethelongestever.”

ChapterEight

After meandering around Kori’s home studying pictures in frames on every surface

availablewhilehewaswaitingforhertopackanovernightbag,henowwonderedhow
shesawhiscondo.Hewasaguy.Comfortandlocationtothepubhadbeenallhe’dcared
aboutwhenhe’dsignedthelease.Thefurniturewassparse,exceptforthesectionalanda
largetelevision.EverythingelsewasastarkcontrasttoKori’shome,whichfeltwarmand
inviting.

Heplacedherthingsjustinsidehisbedroomdoor,withaglancearoundit,thecoldness

hithim. It couldhave been ahotel suite, no onewould know whoowned it. The dreary
thoughts left him when he heard a kitchen chair being slid across the floor. With a few
stridesSladewasbacknearher.Hemotionedforhertosit,whileheheldthechairforher,
readytoseatherlikeagentleman.Shestayedstanding.“Ihavewineorbeer…orwaterif
you’drather?”heoffered.

She bit her lip again. Slade had quickly figured out her many facial expressions, her

signs,thesweetmoansandevenwhatmadeworrylinescrossherforeheadfromtimeto
time.“Kori,sweetheart.”Heurgedherintohisembrace,wrappinghisarmsaroundher.“I
reallyjustwantagoodnight’ssleep.SomethingIhaven’thadinweeks.”

“Weeks?”

“Yes. Since the night I met you, every dream has been of you—that’s when I can

managetofallasleep.Ithinkofthis,righthere,youinmyarms…allthetime.”

“If you think I’m backing out of having hot, sweaty sex with you—” Her eyes went

wide,thensherestedherforeheadonhischest.

Hewaitedafewseconds.“Kori,talktome.”

Sheshookherhead.

“KoriGrace.”

Heloweredhisvoiceandshereactedashe’dhoped.Herheadpoppedup.Koriblinked

twicewhilestaringathim,herbreathingbecomingchoppy.

“Whenyouforgettobeon,whenyouletyourguarddown,iswhenIloveeveryword

thatcomesoutofyourmouth.Youmakemefeellighter,freer,youmakemelaugh—not
atyou,withyou.Doyouunderstand?”

Withhereyesstilllockedonhis,sheshenodded.

“So, if you’re not having second thoughts—though I don’t ever want you to feel

pressured—tellmewhathasyoutiedupinknots.”

Kori had no control over herself. This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled out her full

name and made her feel as if he’d cast a spell over her. It was unnerving how her body
respondedtoSladewithoutanounceofthought.Ashiverrandownherspine.Hestroked
herhipagain,causingtheactiontorepeat.

“Areyougoingtotellmewhatyouwereabouttosay?”

Shegroaned.Neverbeforehadanymanmadeherbrainbecomedisconnectedfromher

mouth.BothfailedhercountlesstimesaroundSlade,embarrassingheroverandover.He
was studying her as if he could see through her. All her thoughts, cares and fears came
screaming to the surface when he set his gaze on her. There was no hiding from him.
She’dtriedandfailedonseveraloccasions.

His knuckle held her chin up. Instead of making her feel vulnerable and weak, Slade

heldherinawaywhichmadeherreallylookathim.Completelyfocusonhim,notglance
around to avert her attention, and within seconds she found herself centered. He had a
calming,simmeringpowerlurkingbeneathhisgoodhumorandeasysmiles.

For a brief second, she started to formulate a lie, unable to tell him exactly what she

felt.Slade’sbrowrose.

Thetruthtumbledoutinsteadofthestoryshehadbeenintendingtosell.

“I’mnotafraidoftonight.I’mafraidoftomorrow,andthenextday.I’mafraidI’min

lovewithyou,butthatit’stoofastandyoudon’tfeelthesame,oratleastasstronglyasI
do.I—”

She started to slap a hand over her mouth, again, before she could finish her thought

withathree-wordsentence.Slade’sforearmblockedher.

Heshookhishead.“Don’thidefromme.Whatelsedidyouwanttosay?”

Slade’svoicewaslow,agravelysoundofpower.Herstomachstartedtodoflip-flops.

Itwasherturntoshakeherhead.

Onedamndate.

That was all they’d been on, but he’d spent weeks working his way into her world.

Whenshewasaroundhim,Korifeltasifshe’dknownSladehalfalifetime,nottheshort
timeherheadkeptremindingherof.Sheswallowed,thefearinsideherbeginningtomake
herfeellikeshewasonfire.Orifshewasreallylucky,maybeshe’djustfaintandbeable
to avoid his penetrating brown eyes still locked on her. The color had darkened as he
continued studying her. She inhaled deeply and her words got stuck, only a small croak
escaped.

Notonlydidhisbrowriseagain,hetippedhishead.

“Iloveyou,”shehurriedout,and,despitehisstrength,shemanagedtocoverhermouth

andducktoavoidthelookshefearedthemost.

Shewasfloatingsuddenly.

Kori clenched her jaw shut and left her eyes closed as Slade carried her out of the

kitchen.Withthesamecareanewbornisshown,shewasplacedontopofathickblanket
beforesinkingintothesoftnessofhismattress.

“Openyoureyes,KoriGrace.”

Thatvoice.Shesnappedtoattentionagain,doingashesaid.

“Iwantyoutounderstand,Iknowyou’renervous.Iknowwehaven’tdatedverylong,

but I know you. Your heart has a way of controlling your mouth and your head can’t
overrideit—andIadoreit.”

Heleanedoverher,bracinghisarmsonthebedandbracketingherhead.Lowering,he

brushedherlips.

Kori’seyestearedup.Shecouldn’thelpit.Shewastoofargone,she’dthrownherself

offthedeependforamanshe’donlyknowntwomonths.She’dbecomeaddictedtohis
laughter,hiswinks,thestrengthinwhichheheldherclose.Korididn’twanttolosethe
safetyshefeltinhispresence,orthewayhemadeherfeellikeshewastheonlygirlinthe
roomwhentheyweretogether.

“Iloveyou,too—”

She cut him off, unable to hear much through the rushing noise in her head. “You…

do?”

“Yes.AndI’llrepeatitasmanytimesasyouneedmeto.I.Love.You.And,another

thing,Idon’tcarewhatanyonethinksorsays.Theycantalkalltheywantabouthowfast
we fell. If they have opinions about fast love or rushing into things, they can keep it to
themselves.I’monlylisteningtothepeopleItrustmost—you,andtheCollinses.Patrick
wasthefirsttocallmeoutonthemat,andsincethen,they’vejoinedforces.”Hewiped
hercheekwithhisfinger.“Sweetheart,”heunbuttonedtwobuttonsonhershirt,“Ithink
youneedmetoshowyouhowmuchIloveyounow.Areyouinthiswithme?”

Kori couldn’t stop the tears. He’d knocked her world off kilter weeks before.

Everythinghadbeenbuilding.Thejoy,nerves,excitement…butmostlyfearthathedidn’t
feelthesameway.Hissincerityandgentlenesswereherundoing.

“Iam,”shewhispered.

SladecontinuedtoundoeachpearlbuttononKori’spalegreenblouse.Itwasmeanof

himtoforcehertofinishhersentence,she’dclearlybeenuncomfortable.Hecouldn’thelp
it;witheveryfiberofhisbeing,heneededthosethreewordstobetheonesshefelttoo.
From the night they’d met, he’d felt as if he’d been the one rushing their relationship,
hopingshewasonthesamepage.He’dsensed,almostwithoutadoubt,heonlyneeded
onethingtofeelhappy,complete.

Thisgirl,theonebeneathhim,herblueeyesshiningashestrippedherofherclothing,

wasit.

Shefistedthecomforteronhisbed.Weretheyrushingintothelove-and-commitment

part too fast? Should they be waiting to proclaim such profound declarations to each
other?

Hockeyhadgiftedhimonething,despitetheheartache.Theknowledgeofhowfleeting

timecanbe.Thereisn’talwaysnextmonth,nextseason,nextyear.Sladehadnevertold

another woman he loved her, but with Kori, he knew. As he’d said the words aloud,
everythinginhisworldfellintoplace.Hefeltatpeaceforthefirsttimeintoolong.

Sladecrossedhisarmsoverhisheadandyankedhisshirtoff.Hersoftgaspinflatedhis

ego a tiny bit. He still worked out but it was the remnants of his hockey life she was
seeing for the first time. He stopped for a quick second, noticing how the thoughts of
hockeydidn’tloomoverhimlikeadarkcloudwhenKoriwasaround.

Inasinglebreath,helettheangerathispastgo.Hadhebeenplayingpro,he’dhave

nevermettheloveofhislife.He’dhavespenttheyeardedicatedtoasport,insteadofthe
wintergettingtoknoweveryinchofhersoftbody.

“What’sthatsmilefor?”

Hewasnearlylaughing.“You,sweetheart…you.Iamtheluckiestmanontheplanet.”

Hermouthtipped.“Maybe.Maybenot.WhatifI’mreallybadinbed?”

Kori’s eyes gave away the shock at her words. Slade stood grinning and used both

handstomotionhertocontinue.“Allright,bringit.Whatelseyagot?”

Shemovedherhandsawayfromhermouthandsnickered.“Icouldsuck—andIdon’t

meaninagoodway.”

Henodded.“Goodone.And?”heencouraged.Shestartedtofidgetandcoverherself.

“Don’teventhinkaboutit.”Sladewinked.

“Oh.My.God.Wouldyoujusthurrythisup?Canyounotjustgettoitandhavesex

withmealread…y?”Herlastwordwaspaused,hereyesgoingwideashepurposelygave
herwhatshe’dstartedcalling“thelook”.

“Honey, this won’t be a slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am session. You’ll be wrung out,

beggingformore—and…forrest.But,”heleanedover,kissingherlips,“youdogetanA
forenthusiasm.Andsecond,damnifIdon’tlovehowyourmouthgetsthebestofyouso,
sooften.”

“Slade?”shewhispered.

“Hurting, aren’t you, Kori Grace?” He watched as her chest moved more rapidly, her

breathing changing. Her legs, which had been pressed tightly together, slowly moved,
openingforhim.Consciouslyornot,Sladesawtheeffecttakinghold.Hecouldtellshe
hadherjawclenchedtight,andhereyesfinallyclosed.

Slade ran his fingertips over every inch of her, watching each inhale, each shiver,

listening to the noises, memorizing all of her, especially what had her body arching
towardshistouch.

“Please,”shewhispered.“Nomore.Notjusttouching,damnit.”Sheshookherhead.

“Please,Ineedyou—here…withme…inme.”

Thewayshe’dtwistedunderhishands,hersoftcontradictorypleas,itwarmedhissoul

andstokedanemberinSladethat’dbeenburningsincethenighthe’dmetKori.Healso
knewhe’dkeptheronthebrinkforlongerthanhe’dmeantto,buthersassymouthhad
delayedhim,andhelivedforthebantershethrewhisdirection.No,KoriDaltonwould
neverbeabletokeepherthoughtsfromhim,especiallywhenshewashorny.

Sladeshuckedhisjeans,boxers,shoesandsocksinexchangeforacondom.

Her eyes didn’t open until after he’d kissed his way up her entire body and was

hovering over her, ready. Kori slid her palms over his face, her blue eyes dramatically
darkened.

“Thankyou,Slade.”

“Forwhat,honey?”

“Becauseforthefirsttime,Icanbeme…withyou.”

Again,she’dbeathimtothepunch,sayingthewordshe’dbeenfeelingaswell.Pulling

inadeepbreath,Sladeswallowed.“Kori,youhavetoknowsomething.Aboutme.More
specifically,youandme.”

Sheinhaledahandfuloftimesbeforeshefinallyanswered,“Yes?”

“Youtoldmeyoulovedme.”

“Idid;Ido.”

“And I love you, I mean it with all my heart, and I’ve never said that to another

woman. I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you.” She bit her lip, tears starting to
glisteninhereyes.“YourespondtomeinawayI…Idon’twanttogiveup.”Sladeedged
closer and closer, and she pushed her head into his pillow as she lifted her hips to meet
him.“Webelongtogether,sweetheart.OnceIenteryou,you’remine.Idon’twanttoscare
you,but—”

“Idon’twantanyonebutyou,Slade.IneverthoughtI’dfindyou,Idon’twanttoever,”

hepushedinsideher,“let.You.Go.”

“KoriGrace?”hesaid,grittinghisteeth,tryingtoholdon,unabletofinishhisquestion.

“Yours,Slade.Yes…Iknow.I’monlyyours.Ionlywanttobeyours,ever.”

He let out a huge sigh of relief. Slade soaked up her words, her admission, and the

feelingofheatfromherbodyasshewrappedherarmsaroundhisneck,pullinghimdown
uponher.

Slade kissed her neck over and over, making his way to her lips. Her mouth opened

slightly and he deepened the kiss. There were so many things running through his head
aboutwhathewantedtodowithKori,andeachstrokeofherfingersacrosshisbackmade
thoseimagessteamier.

Slowlythough.

Thelastthinghewantedwastoscareher.Tonightwouldbeaboutprovinghowmuch

hetreasuredher.

“Quitholdingback,Slade.Iunderstand,”shewhisperedthroughunevenbreaths.

Hepulledbackenoughtoseeherface.“Understand,sweetheart?”

Korinodded.“Myname.Laylacaughtit.She…she…”

Thiswastooimportantforhertorush,hedidn’twanthertrippingoverwordsthatwere

so monumental to their relationship because she was embarrassed to talk to him. “It’s
okay,takeyourtime.”

“It’s just that, well…Layla noticed the way you say my name differently sometimes,

andhowyourvoicechanges,especiallywhenyouaddmymiddlename.Sheexplained…
the,um…Calleditapowershiftofsorts,shecouldseeithappenandcouldseemerelax
whenyoudidit.”

Inhismind,thethoughtsandquestionsstartedspinning.Therewasnowayshecould

fully comprehend what she was saying in the heat of the moment, with him still deep
insideherscorchinghotbody.“And?WhatelsedidLaylatellyou?”

“I’mnotfragile,Slade.Youcan’thurtme.”

“But…inthekitchen?”

“I’mjustscaredofhowmuchIcareforyou.Thatattraction,ifyoudidn’tfeelthesame

way…I’dneverfeelthiswayaboutanyoneelseeveragain.We’ve—I’vefallensofastfor
you,butIcan’thelpit.Iknowforsure,Iloveyou.”

Herfacewaslined,asifshewasscaredhe’drollawayandaskhertoleave.Buthewas

proudofherstrength,thefactthathe’daskedforthetruthandshewasgivingittohim,
despite her fears. Yet, with every word she spoke, the truth rang clear for him as well.
Everythingshesaidwashowhefelt,too.Herknowledgeofthedepthofhisfeelingsfor
her,theacceptanceofhimandhowhedreamedtocareforher,meanttheworldtohim.
Hepusheddeeperinsideherandheldherclosetohim.

Slade kissed her cheeks, tasting the salt from her tears. “Kori Grace,” he whispered.

Beforehiseyes,thelinesfromherfacefaded,sheblinked,heavy-liddedbutstaringupat
him, and after a long minute, the corner of her mouth tipped, giving him a tiny smile, a
signofrelief.“Sweetheart,Idoloveyou.”

He pulled out slowly. She whimpered as he left only the tip of his dick inside her.

“Open your eyes, sweetheart.” He waited her out, holding out on her until he had her
concentrationonceagain.“Iwanttoprotectyou,totakecareofyou,toloveyou,but,I’m
notlookingforasubmissiveoranythingyoumighthavereadinthosebooksoutonyour
bookshelf. However, I’ve overheard women talk about what’s in some of them, and it’s
real.I’mnotplayinggameshere—Iwantthat—withyou.Inthebedroom,duringsex,I’m
incontrol—”

“Iknow,Slade.Ipromise,Iunderstand,”shesaid,thrustingherhipsupwardtryingto

takehimdeeperagain.

“Ah,ah,ah.That’swhatI’mtryingtoexplaintoyou,KoriGrace.Exactlythis.”

Herbodyfellbackintohismattress,apetulant,twistedpoutonherfacewasallittook.

Hecouldpreachallhewanted,butKorihadhimwrappedaroundherlittlefinger.Slade
slammedintoherwithmorepowerthanbefore.Shearchedupward,takingallofhimas
shemadeahigh-pitchedsqueak.Hebenttonipatherneck,hershoulder,andthenkissed
herdeeperthaneverbefore.

Sladecontinuedtoshowherexactlywhathemeant,butkissedherlovinglyaftereach

poundingmotion,drawingoutwhatsheneededfromhim.She’dsaidthewords,buther

bodyhadcontinuedtowrestlehim,archingagainsthim,herhandspullinghimcloser.

Shestartedtocontractaroundhim,andinasplitsecondsherelaxed.Inthatmoment,

Slade knew, she understood completely. He began moving faster, nipping, pinching,
drivingherovertheedgeofwhathe’dpromised.

ChapterNine

“Iknow.Thisisgoingtobeadoozy.Oh,Layla,letmecallyouback.Slade’scalling.”

Korihungupthestorephonetoanswerhercell.“Hi.”

She’dbegrinning,excitedtohearfromhim,ifshehadn’tbeenwatchingtheweather

onthecomputerforthelasthour.Thedarkestpartofthecloudwaspassingrightoverthe
heartofthecity.Everytimesherefreshedthescreen,shewatchedtheblobscreepcloser
andcloser.

“Sweetheart.Ithinkyouneedtocloseearly.They’vealreadyclosedthesideroadsand

everyonearoundusisshuttingdown,”Sladesaid.

“IwasjustonwithLayla,shecalledtotellmethesamething.ButI’mwatchingthe

news,Idon’tthinkIcangethome.”Shewastryingreallyhardnottopanic.Sheknewshe
wassafeinthestore.Shecouldlockup,andtheyhadasmallfridgewithbasicnecessities,
andshecouldmakeduewithherbulkycoattokeepwarmifshelostpower.Shewould
justcurlupintheoffice.

“Yeah,youmissedthatwindow,sweetheart.I’vebeendoingmybestnottocallandtell

youhowtorunyourbusiness,butI’mworriedaboutyou.”

His voice made her heart beat faster. She had gotten to know Slade much more

intimatelyoverthelastfewweeks;whathereallymeantwas,hewasdoinghisbestnotto
exertcontroloverheratwork.He’dpromisedherheonlywantedpowerinthebedroom.
Reality was, it didn’t matter where she was; she’d given him her heart, body and trust.
“Whatareyougoingtodo?You’renotcloseenoughtoleaveyourtruckatPat’sandwalk
homeeither.”

“That’s why I was calling, I’m going to walk down and get you. The sidewalks are

slick and the wind is a real bitch out there. We’re actually closed now, too. We’ve been
offeredaplacetostayuntilthisstormpasses.Doesthedormsoundbetterthanfreezingat
thestore?”

“How’dyouknow?”

“KoriGrace,you’retoosmarttotryandmakeithomeinthis.Thenewsisonhereat

thepub,theyhaveannouncedrepeatedlytheywanttheroadsopenforemergencyvehicles
only.However,Ialsoknowyou’retoostubborntoaskforhelp.Ialsoknowacoupleof
daysagowhenIwasintheshop,allyouhadinyourminifridgewasacoupleofcansof
popandacandybar.Notexactlydinner,norbreakfastattheratethisweatherhasblown
in.Justpleasebeokaywithclosingearly…forme?”

“Youdrivemecrazywithmyfullname.”

“Oh,sweetheart,IknowexactlywhatIdotoyouwhenyouhearmesayit.Hangtight,

I’llberightthere.”

Ohman.Sheinhaleddeeplyandtriedtohideanysignsofhiseffectonher.“K.”

Kori called Layla back to let her know where she’d be, just in case the phones or

electricitywentout.Thenwentaboutmakingsurethebackdoorwaslocked,shuttingtheir
computerdown,andgrabbinghercoatandpursefromtheoffice.

ThefrontdoorblewopenandSladecameinwiththewind,pushingitshutbehindhim.

Hestompedhisfeetonthelargecommercialrugandbrushedthesnowfromhishair.

“Holy shit.” Her heart started to pound. “I haven’t seen it this bad since I was a

teenager,maybeyounger.”

“That’s why I wanted to come get you. I didn’t want you falling. They’re saying the

governormighthavetocallastateofemergencytogethelp.Myparents’neighborhood
haslostpoweralready,andthey’reexpectingittogetworseoverthenexttwelvehours.
AtleastifweloseelectricityatthePub,we’llhaveeachothertokeepwarm,plusRiley’s
beencookingahugepotofstewforeveryone.She’salreadymadebiscuitsandmuffinsfor
themorning,tohaveforbreakfastincasewearen’tablecookanything.”

“Really?Youthinkit’llgetthatbad?”

“They’ve changed the forecast about every half hour. I think this took all the

meteorologistsbysurprise.Itpickedupspeeddefinitely.Ithinkwe’llbeokayatthepub
becauseofRiley.They’vealreadygotalltheflashlightsandcandlesroundedup.But,I’m
goingtocrossmyfingerswedon’tlosepower.”

“Geez.Iwasnervousacoupleofhoursago,butIkeptwaitingfortheplowstomakeit

bybeforeItriedtoleave.”

“They are concentrating on keeping the major streets clean for the cops and

ambulances.We’renotontheirradaratthemoment.”

Herstomachstartedtolurch,butSladereachedforherandhernervessettledabit.She

was safe. She’d have food and shelter, and a very warm strong body beside her tonight.
She blew out a breath, forcing herself to relax and let go of the fear she still held onto
whenthinkingabouttryingtodrivehome.

“Youready,sweetheart?”Korizippedhercoat.Sladecoaxedherhoodoverherheadas

shewaspullingherthickestmittensoutofhercoatpockets.“Here,handmeyourkeysand
I’lllockupafteryousetthealarm.”

Together,theymadetheirwayaroundthecornertoPat’sPub.Atfirst,shehadpartly

wantedtorollhereyesathisneedtocomehelpherwalkafewfeetdownasidewalk.But
theshortwalktookeighttimesaslongasitshouldhave,andshenearlyfellfourtimes.
The wind was strong, making the snow dance and shift quickly, drifting then revealing
patchesoficebelowwithnowarningandnotraction.Eachstepbecamemoretreacherous
thantheonebefore.

“TherewasnowayI’dhavemadeithome,”shesaidastheyfinallywalkedinthefront

doorofPat’s,backintoawarmroom.“Ihatetoadmitit,butIthoughtyouwerebeing…”

“Youcansayit.”Hegrinned.

“Um…dramatic.”

“Ifiguredyouweregoingtosaybossy.”Hepushedthehoodfromherheadandkissed

her.

Shetriednottochuckle;he’dbeencorrectinhiswordchoice.

“Iknewit,that’sexactlywhatyouwerethinking.Itoldyou,yourface…youcan’teven

fakeemotionswithme,letalonetrytolie,sweetheart.Aslongyou’resafe,thenyoucan
callmebossyallyouwant.Idon’tcare.”Hekissedheragain.

“A pint?” Ailis walked up with a tray. “And you two can have Caitlyn’s room. She’s

safe…trustme.Lucaswouldn’thaveitanyotherway.”Shewinked.

“Thankyou.Fortheseandasafeplacetostay.”Sladesaidraisingtheglasses.

Korilaidhercoatandpurseinaboothoutoftheway.“Oh,thankyou.”Shetookher

mugofbeer.“Though,Imayneedashotofsomethingstronger.”

“Nervesgotthebestofyou,too,honey?”Rileyasked,walkinginfromtherestaurant,

Sunday’sSide,tothepubwithalargepot.“Man,it’scomingdownoutthere,”Rileysaid.
“I’ve been told to bunk here as well. Aaron says when the police department is worried
abouthissafety,hedoesn’twantmeouttryingtodrivehome.CanIpossiblyhaveabitof
floorspaceupstairs?”

“Letmegrabthat.”Sladenearedher.

“It’sokay.IfIletgo,I’llendupdroppingiteverywhere.Itlooksheavierthanitis.”

“Smellsdelicious,Riley,thankyousomuch.”Kori’sstomachgrowledassheeyedthe

largestockpot.

“You take Caitlyn’s room, Riley. We’ll cuddle up on the floor.” Slade wiggled his

eyebrowsatKori.

“Oh—”

Koriputherhandup.“Please,Riley,it’sonlyright.You’reallsokindinputtingusup

forthenight.”

Rileyplacedthepotonthebar,thencamecloser,layingherhandonKori’scheek.She

meltedintothemotherlytouch.“You’resuchasweetgirl.How’dourSladegetsolucky?”

“Becausehefinallygottheballstoaskherout.”

Riley’sheadwhippedaroundasKorifeltherownfaceheatup.

“Tris,don’tbesocrude.GoodLord,Popraisedyoubetter.I’msosorry,Kori.Excuse

him. He gets a bit edgy, shall we say, when he can’t get home to his wife. If you know
whatImean.”Rileywinkedandturnedbacktothem.“Iheardhimcomeinafewhours
ago.Iwastoobusywiththerestaurant,butitseemslikewebothwantedtherestofthe
staffhomesafe.Iwashere,butwhendidyougethere?”

Trisclearedhisthroatashewashedupacoupleofglasses.“Iguessaboutnoon.Ijust

didn’t want any chances taken and I knew Padraig wouldn’t shut it down without my
permission.Ididn’texpectIwouldn’tgetbackhomethough.Thankyoumothernature.”

“See.Itoldyou.Edgy.”Rileychuckled.

Koribithertongue,wantingtospitsomewittyretort.

“I’d be a bit snippy, too, if I wasn’t spending the night next to this one,” Slade

answeredforher.

Shefeltherfaceflameagain.

“Youtwohavespenteverynighttogetherhaven’tyou?Forwhat,threeweeksatleast?”

Trisasked.

KoriturnedtoSlade,hermouthsodryshecouldn’tformanywords.

“Iknewit,”hisbossansweredwithadeeplaughter.

ColmandPadraigpouredaroundofJamesonforalltheextrastakingrefugeatthepub

andthecousinswholivedinthedormabove.

Shegrabbedtheshot,takingitallinoneswig.Koriclosedhereyes,feelingtheburn,

lettingitsoakinandwarmherallthewaythrough.“So,Tris,whatdoesitmeanifIwas
theonetotellhimIlovedhimfirst,beforehesaidit?”KorigrinnedwhenTrissuddenly
started choking on his beer. She eyed him, realizing his gaze was on the man standing
behind her. She replayed in her mind what she had just announced to a room full of
people.

Slowlysheturnedaround,unsureofwhatkindofreactionSladewasgoingtohave.

Hisbrowwasraisedashetookherbeerandplacedboththeirglassesonthebar.She’d

beenwatchinghishandsbutbeforesheknewit,shefoundherselfpulleduptightagainst
hischest.Hewasbreathingharder.Sladenuzzledherneck,hismouthhiddenbyherhair,
hisbreathsendingsparksofelectricitythroughhersystem.

“Remember, Kori Grace, what I said about making fun of a man who’s a lovesick

fool?”hewhisperedinherear.

His voice was quiet, but there was a low growl lacing his words. She flinched as the

tingles ran up and down her spine, and pressed herself closer to him. “Ah.” Different
answers danced on the tip of her tongue, none of them appropriate, yet she wasn’t
embarrassedanymore.“Thatlovesickfoolsarereallycuteandhotand—”

She was cut off as he kissed her. He made her hot, needy and she completely forgot

theyweren’talone.

“Sayit…”

“Andyours,”Korianswered.

“Don’tforgetit.”Sladegrinned.

“Can I have your attention, please?” Colm asked loudly as he climbed up on a chair.

“Raiseyourglasses.We’restuckhere,sointheCollinsfashion,we’llmakethebestofit.”

“Youmeanmakeitaparty?”Padraigasked.

Aroundofcheerswentup.

“Here’stowildwinters!”Trishollered.

“Andtostorms.”Hunterlaughed.

Sladekissedhernose.“Andtoverywildfutures.Iloveyou.”

The heat from Slade’s gaze dissipated the chill from their walk in the blizzard. Kori

knewshe’dfinallyfoundthemissingpieceofherworld.Andbeingwithhimwouldnever
beboring.“Areyougoingtokeepmewarmtonight?”sheasked.

“Notjusttonight,mydear.Crazystormsandwildwinternightsfortyyearsfromnow,

I’llbeholdingyoutight,”Sladeanswered,beforekissingheragain.

TheEnd

Copyright©2017AmyGregory

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